The You I Never Knew
by NoahLondon
Summary: Hermione's daughter receives her Hogwarts letter, unknowing of the magical world. Now, Hermione must confess she is a witch. How will her daughter fair at Hogwarts? Will she unearth her mother's secrets? Secrets like who her father is?
1. Her Letter

**Important AN: I wanted to let everyone know that this story is under revisions. Because of this, I've deleted all of the old chapters and decided to start fresh again. Updates will now be posted shortly after they are on Checkmated! I did this to avoid confusion since the revised story will be different from the original as I add more chapters.**

**Since I wrote this story pre DH, you can consider this AU after HBP and anything that happens that follows plot in DH is purely coincidental. **

* * *

Chapter One: Her Letter

The screeching sound of an alarm clock rang through 58 Elysian Way. A young girl, freshly eleven, stirred, moaned and then shifted, placing a pillow over her ears to block out the high pitched ringing. Much to her displeasure, the alarm clock didn't cease; it's beeping only became more frantic, urging the girl out of bed.

Grumbling incoherently, she poked her head out from an orange duvet. Messy red locks of hair framed her still child-like face. Her eyes, half lidded, shined a cocoa brown, a particularly lovely shade that was rich and warm. Running across the bridge of her petite nose and along her cheeks were dozens of freckles that seemed to come naturally for redheads.

Gathering the ends of her blankets in her hands, she rolled out of bed. With a loud thud, she slammed her palm on the off button, silencing the alarm at last. Then out she went from her room into the bathroom, her duvet wrapped around her like a cloak.

The bathroom was sparkling from a recent cleaning. It was large and well decorated with the scent of a candle lingering from earlier that day. A note lay on the ivory marble sink. Picking it up, she read:

_Adele, _

_I had to leave for work sooner than expected. However, I'm taking an early lunch. If you're up by then, get dressed and I'll take you out for a sandwich or something. There are clean clothes on my bed, in case you need them. See you soon. _

_Mum_

If her mother were taking an early lunch, she would be home within an hour, which didn't leave her much time, forty minutes at best. Her mother wasn't an exceptionally patient woman, so Adele figured that it would be best if she took her shower as soon as possible. That way, she wouldn't have to hear her mother's lecture.

Before she hopped into the shower, Adele checked to see if her brand new body wash was in the cabinet. Looking on the shelf, she was disappointed. No manga-peach scrub in there. She wracked her brain for a moment. Where could it be?

Suddenly it hit her that she didn't put it away yesterday when her mother told her to. It would figure. Adele dropped her duvet on site and ran back into her bedroom to grab the elusive item no doubt still in the bag.

Sure enough the scrub sat in the corner of her room. As she strolled across the room, her eyes fell on the calendar. Beneath the date there was a small note written. It was Pamela's birthday. Adele was horrified. What kind of best friend would forget her best friend's birthday?

Jumping on her bed, she crawled across it to her nightstand where the phone sat. Picking it up, she quickly dialed the number and got comfortable against her pillow. It wasn't long before the girls were giggling and chatting away.

After a solid fifteen minutes, a beep interrupted the conversation about what a hottie Pamela's next door neighbor was. Adele was fully prepared to ignore it, but Pam told her to go ahead and switch over to the other line.

"'ello?"

"Hello, love. I just called to let you know I'm leaving the office now."

All the color nearly drained from Adele's face. She had got so wrapped up in her conversation that she forgot about lunch with her mum. How was she ever going to have enough time to get ready now?

"Adele? Are you there?"

"What? Yeah, Mum, I'm here."

"What's wrong? Don't tell me that you haven't even showered yet."

"Of course I have! No need to worry. I'll be ready as soon as you walk through the door."

"That's my good girl. Alright, see you soon."

"Bye!"

Adele quickly flipped back to Pam and explained that she had to go, but yes, she would be at the party that night. Hanging up the phone, Adele rolled off the bed, scrub in tow, and scurried off for the quickest shower she'd ever take in her life.

* * *

After her shower, Adele padded into her mother's room. There was always something about it that she loved. Perhaps it was because they had only moved from a dingy little flat into the grand house two years ago, which was quite a step up. They hadn't always been so wealthy. 

In her first years Adele had lived with her grandparents. Then as time passed, her mother had found a job that paid a measly amount, but enough that the two of them could get a place of their own while she attended night classes at the local university to get her dentistry degree. Somehow they made ends meet, and shortly after graduating, her mother had been offered a spectacular job. Within the past year, she had even opened her own dentistry office.

A pile of clothes was placed neatly on her mother's bed. Discarding her towel on the floral duvet, she picked out an outfit.

In moments she had made herself presentable. She combed her tresses until they were nice and smooth, without a trace of bed head to be had.

With only a few moments to spare until her mother's arrival, Adele glanced at the pictures decorating her mother's room while she waited. The one she thought was most beautiful was of her mother during her youth. Her hair had been pulled up in an elegant fashion. Brown eyes glowed brightly, eyes that Adele knew to be the same shade as her own. Her mother wore a stunning blue gown. When Adele had asked her mother about the picture she'd been told that the picture was taken while she was at school, but made no effort to explain it any further.

Adele had always wondered where her mother attended school and had asked on several occasions. However, her questions were always evaded. It seemed that whenever she brought up things of that nature, her mother got nervous. The subject matter was quickly switched to something entirely unrelated.

Sometimes it felt like her mother was deceiving her by not speaking about it, like she couldn't be trusted with the information. So Adele went elsewhere to get answers. Good old Grandfather and Grandmum would surely explain to her what was wrong with her mum. Again, she was refused. They explained that her mother was just looking out for her best interest. Adele didn't care. She wanted to know and could be trusted. Her mother always told her how mature she was for eleven, so why couldn't she shed some light on her mysterious past? Just thinking about the situation infuriated her.

Returning her attention to the photos, Adele became a little sad. Despite the great number of pictures, one person was missing. There were photos of Adele and her mother in all stages of life, yet her father was nowhere to be found.

If there was one subject touchier than her mother's schooling, it was without a doubt her father. The fact that she didn't know anything about her mum's school years was something that she tried to accept for the most part, but it was quite another story with her father. Everyday she had to look in the mirror and see bright red hair and freckles. These parts of her were from him, she just knew it. No one on her mother's side of her family had red hair and freckles.

Since she was little she had been asking about him. Her mum was tired of her non-stop, rapid fire questions. She didn't even give her little bits of information; whenever Adele asked, the response was silence. Sometimes it was followed by a plea not to ask that again but mostly just uncomfortable silence. As time passed on, Adele learned that it wasn't worth making her mother upset and herself angry. Nowadays she would rarely bring it up.

The sound of steps echoed up the staircase and through the landing. Turning, Adele saw her mother standing in the doorway, smiling brightly. She was such a lovely woman. Adele hoped that when she grew up, she would look just like her.

"Good afternoon, love," she said, planting a kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"Afternoon, Mum," she replied, grinning warmly.

Adele had thought her mother was the coolest mum ever. While her friends' mothers were in there mid-thirties or early forties, hers was a youthful twenty-nine. She had given birth fresh out of school and raised Adele all by herself. When she was young, her mother would always play with her and was very active in all her school activities.

"Mr. Young asked about you today," her mother said, pulling two shirts out of the closet to choose from.

"So what?"

"Now, Adele, that's not very nice. I just can't understand why you don't like him. He's a kind man."

"You like him, don't you?" Adele asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Oh I don't know." She turned to the mirror, holding both garments in front of her trying to make a decision. Opting for the blue one, she continued, "Would it be so bad if I went out with him?"

"I like it the way it is now. We don't need anyone else."

"Am I ever allowed to have a boyfriend?"

"Maybe after I move out of the house."

"You're hopeless, love," she said jokingly before throwing her daughter on the bed and tickling her. "Do you know how long it's been since I've gone out with someone?"

"No," Adele managed to get out between giggles.

"Two years. You've scared them all away."

"I have not!"

"Oh really?"

"I have not!" Adele said much more seriously.

Her mum finally ceased the assault and smiled down at her daughter. Adele returned it.

"I love you, Mum. I don't want to have to share you."

"I love you too, honey, and you were never one for sharing." She got off the bed before helping Adele up. "Come now. You go down and check on the mail. I'll meet you there shortly."

* * *

Several letters had arrived through the mail drop that day. Adele picked them all up and began to shuffle through them as she made her way to the kitchen. 

"Hermione Granger, Hermione Granger, and Hermione Granger," she huffed. "They're all for Mum again. Don't I ever get mail at this house?" she cried, before noticing a fallen letter between her sandaled feet.

Picking up a thick, yellowish envelope made of parchment with green writing written in beautiful penmanship, Adele's eyes grew wide upon noticing the addressee.

Miss Adele Winifred Granger

58 Elysian Way

London

A letter! It was a letter for her. The only letters she ever received were from her grandparents. This, however, was obviously not from them. Something seemed a bit off though. Her eyes were drawn to the upper right hand corner. There was no stamp. How could a letter arrive by mail if it wasn't properly stamped? But then again, what did it matter? Someone could have just dropped it off around the time the mail came. The most important thing was that she actually got a letter of her very own.

Turning the envelope over, she saw an elaborate coat of arms made of purple wax. In the center of the seal was the letter H, and it was surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake. She had no idea what it could represent, but it was absolutely magical. It made her all the more curious to see what was inside.

"Who could this be from?" she thought aloud.

"Who could what be from, dear?" her mother inquired, picking up her own mail. "Bill, bill, and, oh look, a letter from Aunt Millie! I wonder how she's been fairing."

As a tearing sound filled the kitchen, Adele wondered if she should open her own letter. What would her mother say about her daughter getting mail from people she didn't know? Taking another look at the penmanship, she wondered if the sender had perhaps written to the wrong person. It looked too fine to be addressed to an eleven-year-old girl.

"What's that, Adele?" her mother asked, plucking the letter from her hands.

Watching her mum's eyes intently, Adele waited for a response. There was a particular lost look in those brown orbs that made the little girl think something was wrong. Never before in her life had she witnessed that look. Fear mixed with panic and longing was the only way to describe it.

Adele noticed the color drain from her mum's face. She watched as her mother's hand rose as if to cover her mouth but stopped midway when she felt her eyes on her. Adele knew she was struggling to act normal, that she was trying to get a grip on herself. For a long while she waited for her mother to say something, but it appeared that she was speechless.

"Mum?" she called, shaking Hermione's arm. "Mum, are you alright?"

"Of-of course. So sorry, dear." With a halfhearted smile, her mother pushed the letter back into her daughter's hands, her eyes glistening with tears. "Well, it's for you, now isn't it? Go on then, have a look."

Hesitantly, Adele looked up at her mother then back down to the letter in her hands. Why was her mother upset? For a moment, she wondered if she really wanted to open it. What would she find inside that parchment envelope?

Gently, she slid her finger under the lip and broke the seal. Pulling out the letter, she read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall _

_Headmistress_

"Witchcraft and wizardry?" Adele questioned, obviously baffled. She stared up at her mum, waiting for some sort of explanation.

Hermione stood there, watching her daughter intently. She had never doubted that this day would come. She went to Hogwarts and he went to Hogwarts. It was only natural that their daughter would go, too, especially since she showed signs early on of being a witch.

Adele was barely out of diapers before she was using magic. Things would break at random when her little girl was angry. Hermione had even caught a child's cup floating in mid-air when Adele was thirsty and held captive in her play pen one day. When these incidents began, she tried her best to make up excuses for all the phenomenon occurring around Adele. It was no easy task, especially when Adele got older and started to take more notice of the episodes.

Hermione knew the night her daughter burst all the upstairs lightbulbs during a storm when she was six that the time had come for her to make a decision. Would she raise Adele as a witch or would she live life as a Muggle?

A part of her was excited that her child was given the gift of magic. She thought of all the things she could teach Adele. But with magic came something that she wasn't ready to handle. Ultimately, it was that which kept her from speaking a word about it to her daughter.

She had made a lot of mistakes in the past. Things got out of control so easily that she often found herself wondering how she got into the mess in the first place. And by the time she wanted to undo what she had done, it was already too late. Hermione was ashamed about it. She felt horribly guilty about separating father from child. At the time, she didn't have the answers to fix it. In all honesty, she didn't have them now either.

By keeping the wizarding world from Adele's knowledge, there would be no questions about her father, no questions about who he was and what happened between him and Hermione, and no questions about where she could find him. Severing this link, she could assure herself that Adele would never be able to contact him.

Yet, there was this small part of her that thought having him by her side after all these years, being able to share in the experience and responsibility of raising a child, would fill that empty place in her heart. In that letter written so many years ago, she had assured her two best friends that she would indeed contact them when she felt she was ready. Adele going to Hogwarts would open that window of opportunity.

Was she really ready to be reunited with them? What would they think of her? What would _he_ think of her? How would he feel about her taking his child away? She couldn't do it. At least, she couldn't do it now.

Hermione wanted more than anything to see Adele going to the school where she had grown up; however, there would be two conditions that went along with this. These conditions would ensure that her identity be hidden from anyone who might want to find out what had happened to her.

"I don't understand, Mum."

"When I was a girl about your age, I received a letter identical to the one in your hand. I had never heard of Hogwarts or wizards and witches. I believed them all to be fictional. You can imagine how shocked I was to learn that they are, in fact, real."

"You went to Hogwarts!"

"Yes. They were some of the best years of my life," Hermione recalled fondly.

"But that would mean that you're a witch!"

"You've picked up on that, have you?" she questioned with a wince.

"Mum, you never told me. How could you keep something like this from me?"

"I wanted you to grow up in a normal home. I wanted you to experience everything I did."

"I had a right to know," she huffed.

"I'm sorry," Hermione spoke, fighting back a few tears. She pulled her daughter to her and hugged her tightly. "Please forgive me."

"Don't cry about it, Mum," she replied, hugging her mother back.

Adele was crestfallen. How many more things was her mother going to keep from her? The more she found out about her mother, the more she realized that her mother was almost a stranger. She began to cry as she thought about how much she loved her mum the way she was. It was absolutely scary to think of her as someone else.

"You're right though. You had every right to know. I left that life eleven years ago, but I should have taught you about who you are."

"You left because you were pregnant with me, didn't you?" Adele inquired sadly.

"I did."

"So you left a world that you loved because of me?"

"No, love, don't blame yourself," she said, noticing Adele's tears.

"But I'm the reason you left!"

"Adele, I left because it was my choice. I would never, ever wish you hadn't come along. I adore you. I loved you from the moment I found out I was pregnant. I was certainly afraid out of my wits, but I wouldn't have traded you for anything in the world."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Pulling her daughter into an embrace once more, she planted a kiss on her cheek and felt somehow relieved that the situation was out in the open. "Now, no more tears, pet. You're going to Hogwarts, after all."

"I can go?" she asked.

"If you want to, you can."

"I do! I want to go to Hogwarts!" Adele wiped herself free of tears and smiled.

"I have to wonder if you are even more enthused than I was when I first got my letter."

Adele wondered what it would be like at Hogwarts. What would her teachers be like? Would she even be good at magic? What type of people would she be friends with? Would their parents have gone to school with her mother? Had _he_ gone to school with her mother?

"Mum, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Anything."

"Did you meet my dad at Hogwarts?"

Hermione knew this was going to come up again now that Adele had found out about this whole other side of her. What was she going to tell her? Hermione certainly didn't want Adele to go searching for him, but she had every right to at least know the answer to that question.

"Yes, I met your father on the train to Hogwarts to be exact."

"Do you have any pictures of him? Can I see what he looked like?"

She wished her daughter would have left it at that. Why did Adele have to rub salt in wounds that were still fresh, even after all those years? It wasn't her fault, and Hermione knew that. She wouldn't snap at Adele; she would remain level headed. It was only natural that she would want to know what he looked like, and she felt like a bad mother for keeping so many things secret. But she couldn't allow guilt to waver her resolve.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you see them. Your father and I parted ways years ago, and its best left at that."

"But —"

"Adele, I want you to go to Hogwarts. However, there are a few conditions I have. My past is mine and mine alone. I don't want you to go digging around for pieces of it. There are reasons for this, so promise me you won't do it."

"That's not fair. What could be so bad that you don't want me to find out about it?"

"Don't argue with me."

"Fine."

"Also, I don't want you to offer any information about me. I'm sure there are several people who would like to contact me, but that's not possible. I'm not ready for that."

"What am I supposed to tell people when they ask about my mum? Do I just make something up?"

"Adele, please don't fight me on this."

"These rules are stupid though. Your past is part of my past. I want to know about you, and I don't want people thinking I don't have a mum just because I never talk about her."

"It won't be like that. Adele, you're just going to have to listen to me. I'm doing this for your own good. Now promise me."

"It's not like I have a choice."

"Don't be like that."

"Alright, alright. My lips are sealed and I won't go looking for anything."

"Thank you, love."

Adele was ecstatic to be attending the same school as her parents once had, and the thought of learning magic made her even more eager to go. She felt bad for her mum having to make a choice like she did eleven years ago, and even at her young age, Adele knew that Hermione had thought it was for the best. She wouldn't pretend like she was alright with the idea of being kept in the dark all this time. It upset her greatly. She wasn't about to forgive her mother entirely right now either. She needed her though, and she wanted her mum's support.

As for not digging up information on her father, well that wasn't going to happen. She felt a little guilty for lying to her mother, but she wasn't going to be sorry for trying to find out who her father was. She deserved to know the truth.

Focusing her attention back to her mother, she noticed another slip of paper in her hand.

"What's that?"

"Oh, this is just the list of things you'll need for school." Hermione handed the paper to Adele, and Adele read it thoroughly.

"I can take a pet with me?" Adele asked, glancing up at her mother before reviewing the list once more.

"If you'd like," answered Hermione.

"What did you take, Mum?"

"I bought a cat my third year."

"You mean Crookshanks, the old cat that you had when I was a baby?"

"Yes, that's him alright."

"Will you buy me a cat, too?"

"If you'd like, I suppose that can be arranged," she replied with a grin.

"Uh, Mum?" Adele called, folding up the paper and neatly placing it inside of the envelope. "Where exactly will we buy all of these things? I don't recall seeing a witches' department store anywhere in London."

"We'll have to go to Diagon Alley, love."

"What's Diagon Alley?"

"It's a place where you can buy all sorts of magical things. I'll take a day off work next week, and we can go shopping."

"That'd be great!"

"However, I think we had our own outing planned for this afternoon, didn't we? Let me grab my purse, and we'll leave."

Adele watched as her mother walked into the living room. She clutched the envelope to her chest with all her strength. She was a witch! A full-fledged, wand waving, potion making witch, or at least she would be in a matter of weeks. Adele couldn't wait to go to Diagon Alley and experience magical life first hand.

* * *

**AN:** A big thanks to my beta, Pig With Hair, and to everyone who has stuck with this story. Look for chapter two in a week or so! 


	2. The Streets of Diagon Alley

Chapter Two: The Streets of Diagon Alley

While a week seemed to stretch on forever, Adele finally had her wish the following Thursday. She woke up, ever so excited, and the Granger women set out for Diagon Alley.

Strolling down the streets of London, Adele carefully scrutinized every shop they passed, searching for any sign that it might hold magical contents. However, there was not a wand or broom to be had. Disappointed, she turned her attention elsewhere.

Earlier that morning, she had walked into her mother's room to find her casting magic on herself. At first, Adele was in complete awe; she'd never seen anyone perform a spell before. When the novelty wore off, she wondered what exactly her mum had done to herself. She looked entirely different.

Naturally, Adele had asked why she was changing her looks, but not surprisingly, her mum had given her that look she knew all too well. It was just one more thing to add to the list of _Things I Can't Ask Mom About__Part III_. But when did she ever take no for an answer?

"Hey, Mum? Why'd you change yourself?"

"Adele," she said warningly.

She knew she probably should have stopped there, but she couldn't help herself. Her mum expected her to push the limits sometimes, so who was she to let her down? Taking a couple steps to walk alongside her mother, she latched herself onto her mum's arm and half walked half hung onto her.

"Stop hanging on me, Adele. You're making it hard to walk."

While giving her mother a little reprieve she asked, "Are you going to be stuck like that?"

"Of course not."

"But, how are you going to you reverse the spell or whatever?"

"When you want to deactivate any spells, just move your wand like this," her mother swished with her finger, "and say _Finite Incantatem_. Then, I'll be back to normal."

"Is that hard magic? Can I do it?"

"Oh, it's not so bad once you get used to it, but someone of your skill level wouldn't be able to cast it. Ah, here we are."

Her mother pointed to a sign on a shabby looking building that read: _The Leaky Cauldron_. Adele glanced around to see if anyone was watching them.

"They can't see it, dear. They're Muggles."

"What did you call them?" she inquired, giving her mother a confused look.

"Muggles. It's what the people of the Wizarding world call people who have no magic ability. You'll hear it quite often, so be sure to remember it," her mother explained, before opening the door to the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

The inside of the inn looked like nothing more than a dim and slightly dirty pub. Various people dressed in robes sat at the tables drinking and talking amongst themselves. No one seemed to take any notice of them as they entered. 

Adele was ready to start shopping, but as soon as she stepped forward, her mother stopped her. She didn't know what her mum could possibly want to do before going to Diagon Alley. Turning around, Adele crossed her arms to express her displeasure.

"Let's go," said Adele.

"Would you wait a minute? I need to go to the toilet."

"But Mum!"

"It'll only take a minute. You should go too."

"I don't have to."

"Oh, alright then, be stubborn, but I don't want to hear that you need to use it in a few minutes. Stay right here and hold my bag, please."

Adele leaned against the wall. While she waited, she began rummaging through her mum's handbag for some bubble gum. What she found though, was ten times more exciting than that. She took her mother's wand in hand and idly began to flick it around. The thought that she might be able to cast a spell intrigued her, but the only spell she knew was the one that her mother had mentioned earlier.

"_Finite Incantatem!"_ she said, careful not to be too loud for fear of drawing attention to herself.

Nothing happened, which angered her. If she was a witch she ought to be able to cast a spell. After all, what kind of witch would she be if she couldn't?

Her mum had mentioned that the spell was complicated, so she assumed that the wand waving might be a bit more complex, too. She repeated the phrase a couple of times with various movements, none of which seemed to work. Figuring her mother would be out soon, she decided to try it one more time before slipping the wand back where she had found it. That time, however, the tip of the wand glowed brightly.

"Adele!" her mother shouted.

Adele looked up, and before she knew what had happened her mother stood before her as normal as she ever was. Adele's feelings were mixed. She'd cast her very first magic spell, a spell which her mother had said was challenging. On the other hand, judging by the scowl on her mum's face, she was in a lot of trouble.

"What do you think you're doing?" her mother inquired, snatching the wand from Adele's hand. Don't you know that magic can be very dangerous? Adele, I'm very —"

A loud gasp from a witch nearby made Adele nearly jump back and Hermione stop mid sentence. All the color seemed to drain from the old woman's face. Adele could only assume that she recognized her mother. That witch wasn't the only person to take note of her mother's presence either. The attention of nearly everyone in the pub had turned to Adele's mum.

Adele wondered how well known her mother really was. If she could walk into a little pub and everyone knew her, what was it she had done that made her so famous? She couldn't stop thinking about it. Was her struggle to find the answers to all her questions really not going to be much of a struggle at all?

Of course, all of those questions begged the biggest question of all. If her mother was so well known, was her father as well? Adele couldn't stop wondering if maybe she would run into him today. It seemed unlikely that her mother would bring her to a place where her father might be. Unexpected things have happened before though, so she wasn't about to start thinking that all was lost on her little trip yet.

As her mother began a steady walk toward the back door of the Leaky Cauldron and away from the numerous sets of eyes watching her, Adele was devising a plan, shuffling behind her. The opportunity was really too good to be true, and she didn't dare waste it. As soon as her mother let her guard down, Adele was going to slip off and get some answers.

* * *

When they arrived in a small lot at the back of the pub, Adele searched for something in her mother's face. She looked clearly shaken up by the incident. At least now she knew why her mother had disguised herself that morning. 

"I'm really, really sorry about using your wand!"

"I can't believe you would do something like that. It's dangerous to use someone else's wand, Adele. You could have been hurt or worse."

"I know. And I'm sorry."

"Thank Merlin you're alright."

An all too familiar itch began to make Adele antsy. She really wanted to ask her mother what was going on. She should know what the outcome would be, but she just couldn't help herself. It really wouldn't hurt to give it a shot, would it?

"Why did those people start looking at you? Why did that witch act surprised?"

"Don't worry about it."

"But, Mum," she protested. "Can't I just ask you a question?"

"Please let it go. Don't ask me about it anymore," her mother begged.

"I wasn't going to!" Adele lied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I just wanted to know why we're standing in the middle of a courtyard when we should be in Diagon Alley."

"Oh, well then," her mum began, with a relieved tone. "You see it wouldn't be wise to have magical places out in the open for Muggles to discover. So, there are certain barriers put up to ensure these places are not found. The Leaky Cauldron goes unnoticed by the Muggle eye, love; however, wizards can see it. The same goes for Diagon Alley. For someone who has never been taught the way to Diagon Alley, they will have great trouble finding the way, you see. But, if you know the way to open the road, entry is simple." She finished the explanation as she tapped the wall three times with her wand.

It seemed to Adele that whatever part of herself her mother had left behind was now returning to its mistress as the bricks in the wall shifted and the streets of Diagon Alley appeared before them. Her tone was much more precise, much more knowledgeable. It was as if she had studied the place with a fine tooth comb and was now imparting any knowledge to her daughter that she deemed important. This was a whole new Hermione Granger, Adele concluded, one that she had never seen before.

Her eyes cast a look at the now open pathway, and she was bedazzled. It was wonderful, absolutely stunning. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so completely taken with something. Adele's lips parted slightly as she tried to take everything in and realized it was much too difficult to do.

"Whoa —"

"Impressive, isn't it? You're about to embark on a whole new stage of life now, darling."

Adele now gazed up at her mother's cocoa eyes and saw them almost misted over. There was that familiar tone back in her voice. She sounded like her mum again, rather than the narrator of a spectacular tale.

With another stolen look at the bustling street in front of them, Adele now saw the first chapter in her own story about to begin. A story of a girl going to a school of magic, no doubt to learn things that she had thought only existed in fairy tales.

"We'd better get a move on," her mother began, softly pushing her daughter into Diagon Alley. "We have to stop at Gringotts before we can do anything."

* * *

Adele was careful to walk a few steps behind her mother. That way when she decided to run off, her mum wouldn't notice as quickly. She didn't know whether the streets were narrow or it was just the volume of people visiting that day, but whichever it was, it would help her get away that much easier. 

When her mother turned a sharp corner, Adele saw her chance. She took several steps backward and ducked inside the first shop she could find. However her quick footwork caused her to trip. She tried to grasp for something to catch herself on, but only found an unstable stack of slender boxes. Adele fell to her knees, the boxes scattered about her.

The sound no doubt alerted the shopkeeper, whose shuffled steps sounded from the room behind the counter. Adele tried to clean up the mess she made before the proprietor made an appearance, but all her efforts were in vain. An old man with moon-like eyes stood above her.

"Ah, I'm so sorry. It was an accident really. Please don't turn me into a toad!"

When the old man offered his hand to her she was hesitant to take it at first. He looked nice enough, she supposed, but there's no telling what he could really be like. She started to regret separating from her mother.

"No worries. You're not the first child to knock over a stack of my wands." He flicked his own wand, and the boxes assumed their previous position.

His voice was nothing more than a whisper in her mind. She was too caught up in the magic he performed to take in what he said. With a flick of his wand the boxes just stacked up on their own. What might have taken twenty minutes to clean up was done in no more than twenty seconds. But even more amazing than that was the fact that he had used his wand so casually as if he hadn't even given it a thought.

"Here, let me help you up."

Adele took his hand and found herself back on her feet. She was in a wand shop? Her mother had mentioned something about a wand shop called Ollivander's, so she assumed that the man in front of her was Mr. Ollivander himself.

"Thanks. I didn't mean to make a mess."

Boy, was her mother going to tear into her for causing trouble when she found out. She just kept getting herself in deeper and deeper as the day went on. By the time her mum discovered that she had disappeared and what had happened, she would have to stay in until she was twenty-five at least.

"Your first wand?" Mr. Ollivander asked, walking behind the counter.

"Yes, how did you know?"

The man gave a hearty chuckle. "How did I know? Dear girl, I remember every wand I've ever sold."

Had this man sold her parents' their wands? And if it was true that he did remember every wand he sold, he would probably remember her parents. After all, it was only logical given the reaction of all those people in the Leaky Cauldron. She needed to pursue this further.

"Have you had a shop in Diagon Alley for long?"

"Oh, yes, it's been quite some time. I daresay longer than I care to admit; I probably sold your grandparents their first wands." He pulled out a wand box. "Shall we get started? These things take time, you know."

"Huh?"

"You've come here to buy a wand, haven't you?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, my mum's at Gringott's getting our money exchanged. I'm meeting her here."

The situation wasn't good. She needed to get him talking again. She needed to know if he knew about her parents. But, she had to do it so that it didn't look like it was coming out of nowhere. If she was as close to finding out about her father as she though she was, she needed to act like she wasn't digging around for information.

"Now let me see," he began, walking around her.

Adele wrinkled her nose. Again with the staring: first it had been the witch back at the Leaky Cauldron and now the shopkeeper. Didn't wizards know that it wasn't nice to stare? If they'd been raised by her mother, they certainly would have. She didn't know how many times she'd been yelled at for gawking at people. More importantly though, why was he staring?

"Oh my, could it be?"

"Could what be? What's wrong?" she asked, afraid that he'd found something wrong with her.

"Hermione Granger: vine wood with dragon heart string," he said, sounding quite proud of himself. "She's your mother, no doubt. You have her eyes and face. If you're half as smart as that one, you'll be quite remarkable. They say she was one of the brightest out of Hogwarts, do you know that?"

"No, sir, I didn't," she replied.

"But I'm certain she is your mother."

"Umm, yes, she is my mum."

"Well then, I know undoubtedly who your father is." He gave a heavy sigh before continuing, "That boy, he broke more of my wands than I care to count. Now, let me see, R—"A tapping at the window interrupted him. "Oh, look. It seems I've got a package."

Adele wanted nothing more than to scream at him. He knew him! He knew her father, and some stupid owl had stopped him from telling her just what she wanted to know. She was so close that she felt like crying.

"Mr. Ollivander—"

"Ah, so sorry." He shuffled behind the counter, placing the package on a nearby chair, and returned a few minutes later with a tape measure. "This is a pretty exciting moment for you. Let's not get sidetracked. Your wand waving arm, if you please."

As he was busy taking measurements, she had to keep herself from groaning. Exciting moment? He didn't know the half of it. She only wished he realized that picking out her wand _was_ getting sidetracked from the matter she wanted to talk to him about. She knew that her time was running out. Her mother had to have noticed that she was gone by now. It was only a matter of time before her mum figured out where she had gone.

"Mr. Ollivander, about my father—"

"He turned out to be an exceptional Auror. Of course, that's not surprising considering what he went through."

"Auror?"

"You know, an Auror."

No, she didn't know because her mother had kept all of this a secret from her. Adele tried to not dwell on that fact, and was successful sometimes, but right then, she hated her mother for it. If she'd just been honest with her, she wouldn't be going through all this torment. The fact that she'd just learned something about her father and didn't know what it meant nearly killed her.

"I'm sorry, but could you explain? I was raised…umm….what's the word?"

"Muggle?"

"Yeah, that's it."

Mr. Ollivander took a step back from her looking shocked. "I'd heard your mother had left. But really, raising her daughter as a Muggle? It doesn't seem right." He sighed and continued the measurements. "Anyway, an Auror fights Dark wizards. Now that I think about it, your father was in not three days ago."

Life wasn't fair. Her eyes were beginning to tear up. She'd missed him by a few days? If her mother had taken her shopping forty-eight hours earlier, she might have run into him at that very spot. Right then, she wanted nothing more than to be in her bedroom, hugging her stuffed dog and crying.

"Is something wrong?"

"I just have a really bad headache."

"Well then, I think we're ready to start," he announced, walking toward the back room.

Adele heard Mr. Ollivander turning over boxes and talking to himself. It wasn't long before he was back, holding a wand for her to try.

"Here we are. Ten inches, maple, unicorn hair. Go on now, give it a flick."

Adele took the wand from the container. It was very light, but felt a bit awkward in her hand. She had just raised it above her head and was in mid stroke when he nearly snatched it out of her grasp.

"No, no, no, I had it all wrong. Please excuse me for a moment."

Again, Mr. Ollivander went to the back, muttering to himself all the while. Quite some time and at least ten wands later, Adele felt she held something she deemed perfect in her hand.

With a flick, colourful sparks emitted from the tip, and Mr. Ollivander had a satisfied look on his face. Adele returned the wand to the box.

"Of course, why hadn't I gone with my first instinct? Willow, supple, eleven and a half inches, phoenix tail feather. It's a perfect match for you."

"There you are."

Adele was awash in dread. Her mother had finally found her. The cheerful tone in her mum's voice didn't escape her ears. While Mr. Ollivander might believe it Adele knew better. Her mum was just trying to appear pleasant in front of the old man. If Adele had been alone, her mother would have been ranting and raving from the second she had walked in the door.

"Hey, Mum. Get the money exchanged?"

"Uh huh," her mum said, walking to her side.

Before she could even look up at her mother, a hand was on Adele's shoulder. The pressure her mum was applying made Adele want to shrug her off, but she knew it was a futile attempt and would only get her in bigger trouble.

"You have perfect timing. We've just finished selecting the little lady's wand."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Ollivander."

"No need to thank me. I was wondering when I was going to see a child of yours. Young Mr —"

"Seven galleons, is it?" Hermione interrupted, digging in her purse for the money and trying to hide a flustered face.

"It's eight galleons now, I'm afraid. The Wizarding economy isn't what it used to be."

Adele watched as her mother exchanged money with the shopkeeper and quickly took the bag, passing it on to Adele. She could tell her mother couldn't wait to leave the shop. It was partly due to the fact that Mr. Ollivander knew who her father was and might let it slip. But more than that, Adele thought, her mum couldn't wait to let her have an ear full.

When they left the wandmaker's, they took several steps in complete silence before her mother grabbed her by the hand and led her into an empty alley. Preparing herself for the worst, Adele glanced at her mum. She was giving Adele her best "you are in so much trouble right now, Adele Winifred Granger" look.

"What were you thinking of running off like that? You scared me half to death!"

"I'm sorry," Adele muttered, staring at her feet and nudging a discarded sweet wrapper with the toe of her shoe.

"You're sorry? Adele, all I kept thinking was what if something horrible had happened to you. I would never have forgiven myself."

"I said I was sorry."

"I understand. Sorry isn't going to fix this little predicament you've got yourself into though. Why did you run away from me?"

"No reason."

Her mother was all about secret keeping, and Adele was feeling a little spiteful. She wanted to know why she ran away? Too bad. It was her turn to keep secrets. She wondered how her mother liked being in her position.

"You're expecting me to believe that you just walked off for no reason? I wasn't born yesterday, Adele."

"Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it." She started to walk back to the main street before her mother caught her by the shoulder.

"This is about your father, isn't it?"

"No."

"Just leave it alone, all right?"

No, it wasn't all right. She didn't want to leave it alone, and by no means was she going to. Adele didn't care how long her mother made her stay in for either. She was going to find her father against her mother's wishes. That was that.

"Fine, I'll drop it," Adele said to placate her mother.

"Good. Now, let's finishing up our shopping."

"Does that mean I'm not getting punished?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? You are in a world of trouble, missy. We'll talk about your punishment when we get home."

Well, it wasn't as if she was expecting to get out of it anyway. She knew her mother a little better than that. As for her mission, she didn't think she'd get the chance to get some time to herself for the rest of the day. Her mother would be on her like a hawk. Sighing, she followed her mother off to the next shop.

* * *

After a wait at Madam Malkin's and a quick trip to the cauldron shop, Adele and Hermione found themselves in the entrance of Flourish and Blotts. Hermione noticed that Adele stood in awe at the number of books that lined the walls and filled the shelves. 

There was section after section of all different types of books. There were books that had color-changing covers, biting books, and books that had to be locked up for one reason or another, all of which must have been a lot for Adele to take in.

Hermione, however, was at home. It had been years since she had stepped into such a fine bookshop. Muggle shops could hold nothing against the bookshops of the Wizarding world, she was sure. How many times had she walked down the aisles with her own parents, pointing out her interests, and on more than one occasion, had scanned through to see what a book had to offer? Now, all her spellbooks were locked away at her parents' house, sorely in need of some use.

When she glanced down at her daughter, she saw that look in her eye. Honestly, didn't she know when enough was enough? Hermione was certain that Adele was just waiting for another moment to sneak off again.

"Don't even think about it."

"Think about what? What am I thinking?"

"We both know what you're thinking and it's not happening. You're sticking with me."

She didn't miss Adele's huff. Hermione wanted to roll her eyes. Adele didn't even know how much like her father she was. Some their mannerisms were uncanny in similarity. As much as it annoyed her at times, Hermione was also thankful for it.

"Come on, we need to pick up your schoolbooks."

* * *

Adele begrudgingly followed her mother around the shop. It was safe to say that she was absolutely miserable. Her mother seemed to stop after every single shelf to skim across the titles, none of which were on Adele's school list. And Adele had thought that going grocery shopping with her mother took a long time. 

At first she stayed right at her mother's side, but she soon found out that she could get away with merely staying in her mother's line of view. She didn't know if her mum was being lenient or if she was so absorbed in the books that she had forgot about what she had told Adele earlier. Either way, it was to Adele's advantage, so she was certainly going to abuse the privilege as much as she could.

Adele came across the discount bin, among which was a book titled _Magical Me_ by some guy by the name of Gilderoy Lockhart. Whoever he was, Adele thought he had the smarmiest smile known to mankind. There wasn't anything she thought looked interesting, so she worked her way up the row to her mother.

As she was doing so, she ran her fingers down the spines of the books to see if anything caught her eye. She saw various titles, some that dealt with the care of magical creatures, and others that contained how to make various types of potions, and there were several bookcases dedicated to the history of magic, which she thought looked particularly dull.

The binding of a large red and gold book read, _Famous Gryffindors_. Taking it from the shelf, she stood mesmerized at the cover. On it was a lion crest that she assumed to be the crest for the Gryffindor house. She recalled her mother vaguely explaining that there were four houses at Hogwarts, and first years were sorted according to their strengths. However, her mother had never answered her question about what house she had been sorted into. Big surprise there.

Just as she was about to open the book, someone bumped into her. Adele took a several steps back before gaining her balance. After readjusting herself, she glanced at the girl who was mirroring her own actions. She was just little bit shorter than Adele was with long black hair and brown, almond shaped eyes.

"Sorry about that. I should pay more attention in these crowded shops," the girl apologized, smiling very pleasantly.

"No problem," Adele replied.

"Um, are you going to Hogwarts, as well?" the girl asked, peering at the cover of the book in Adele's hands.

"Yes, I've just got my acceptance letter in the mail. It will be my first year."

"Really? It's my first year too. My name is Akemi, Akemi Kano."

"Adele Granger. It's nice to meet you."

"I haven't met anyone who is going to Hogwarts yet."

"You were raised Muggle too, then?"

"Ah, no, it's not that. We live in a rural area, so I haven't had much of a chance to meet wizards my age."

"Yeah, me either."

"It was really nice to meet you, Adele. I'm not as nervous about going to Hogwarts now that I know someone there."

"I know what you mean. I hope we're in the same house. That'd be great."

Adele didn't know why, but she had an immediate liking for the girl. Akemi seemed to be really nice. She thought that she could make friends easily with her.

Someone waving a hand caught her attention as she looked over Akemi's shoulder. There was her mother standing at the end of the aisle, weighted down with more books than could have possibly been on the list. As much as Adele enjoyed an occasional read, her mother seemed obsessed with it. She could only imagine what her mum had purchased for her.

"That's my mum, so I'll have to be going now," she explained, returning the red book to its spot on the shelf.

"Maybe I'll see you on the train then, Adele?"

"I'll save you a seat. See you then."

* * *

As they began to walk to the magical creature shop, Hermione made an occasional glance at Adele, who looked as if she was growing rather irritated. She was certain that Adele sensed that she wanted to ask her a question. Hermione really wanted to know who Adele had been talking to at the bookshop. 

"What?" Adele finally asked.

"Well, who did you meet in the bookshop?"

"Her name is Akemi. It's her first year as well."

"That a girl. You've already made your first friend."

"I'm saving her a seat on the train, so maybe we can talk a bit more. I really don't know her that well, but she seems really nice."

"You'd be terribly surprised the friends you'll make on your first train ride," Hermione stated, thinking back fondly to a certain red head with a smudge of dirt on his nose and a black haired boy with a scar on his forehead.

Adele shrugged indifferently. "Yeah, I guess so."

Soon they found themselves in the Magical Menagerie. Hermione waited to see where Adele would go first, but she didn't even have to give her time to look around. Adele headed straight for the cages upon cages of cats.

* * *

Adele carefully examined all the felines from top to bottom. She had never seen so many cats of different build or color. There was a particular tabby cat that she was fond of, but that soon changed when her eyes fell on a small cage at the very bottom corner. Inside was a tiny black cat that looked considerably smaller than any of the others. He had large round eyes and gave a tiny mewl when he saw he held her attention. 

Squatting down and unlatching the door, Adele picked the cat up by the scruff and held him in front of her face so they met eye to eye. There was a silence for a moment before the tiny kitten gave another sad meow.

"How about you go to Hogwarts with me, cat?" she questioned.

He blinked at her once, and then she turned around to her mother, who had just arrived behind her. Standing up, she held the feline in her arms, stroking its back.

"I'd like to get this one, Mum."

"Are you sure? He looks awfully small."

"Yeah, I'm sure. He'll get bigger eventually."

"All right then," Hermione replied. "What are you going to name him?"

Adele picked the cat up so he was facing her. She thought for several minutes, all sorts of names popping in and out of her head. Squinting her eyes in deep thought, she decided.

"Vincent," she announced. "I'll call you Vincent."

"Well then, shall we get things for him and be off? I thought we would have dinner at your grandparents' tonight so they could see you before you leave for school. You won't be back until Christmas, you know."

* * *

At one o'clock, the Granger women made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Her mind cluttered with all sorts of thoughts about Adele and the situation at hand, Hermione nearly forgot what she was walking towards. She turned sharply to go into an alley that would take them to the Leaky Cauldron another way. However, her efforts were in vain when she heard Adele let out a gasp. Not two buildings in front of them stood a shop that was decked out with bright colors and all kinds of boxes and objects decorated the windows. Hermione couldn't help but want to kick herself for being so careless. 

"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," Adele read, running ahead and looking at the sign above the doorway. "Can we go in there, Mum?"

"I don't think so, love," Hermione replied, trying her best to hide the nervousness in her voice.

Leave it to Fred and George to ruin a perfectly spent day in Diagon Alley. It seemed that the only difference after eleven years was the products in the shop window seemed to be more incredible, judging from the advertisements. Though the twins hadn't been much for school, they were ingenious. She would at least give them that.

"Why not? It looks fantastic!"

"No, Adele," Hermione answered sternly.

The last thing she needed was for Fred and George to recognize her after all these years of hiding. One slip of the tongue and Ron would come searching for her. She just knew it. It was too risky, much too risky.

Then, her heart skipped a beat when she saw a red head come into view talking to a customer. It was Fred. He hadn't changed a bit since she had last set eyes on him. He had the same length of ginger hair, same build, and the same sense of humor, no doubt. Looking at Fred, she tried to envision what Ron would look like now.

"Mum, if you're not going to let me go in, then let's go," Adele huffed.

"Of course, dear. Yes, grandma and grandpa will be expecting us soon."

* * *

Adele was severely disappointed as she watched the brick wall barrier of Diagon Alley close behind her. She felt a bit empty, as if she left a part of her she never knew before that day back in the Wizarding world. Maybe it was the fact that she knew her dad was living in that world that made her feel like she wasn't whole. In all honesty, she didn't know if she'd ever be complete without him in her life. 

And what about her mum? If she felt that way and had yet to experience Wizarding life, she wondered how her mum was feeling. Adele didn't know how she could have possibly turned her back on it all. Though she was angry with her, Adele did feel a little sorry for her mum. It wouldn't change the fact that she had to go against her mum's wishes, but there was some sympathy there.

Most of all, her first taste of the Wizarding world had left her wanting much more. However, she did have several things to look forward to. In a matter of two weeks, she would be setting out for platform nine and three-quarters to ride off to Hogwarts.

* * *

**AN:** A big thanks to my beta, PigWithHair, and to everyone reading this story! 


	3. Hogwarts Bound

Chapter Three: Hogwarts Bound 

After waking Adele up and sending her off to the shower, Hermione set out for the kitchen to pack a lunch for Adele's train trip. She rummaged around in the refrigerator without paying much attention to what she was doing.

It had been eleven years since she'd been on her own. With her little girl off to Hogwarts, what would she do with herself? Her days had been meticulously planned around Adele. She had it all down to an art form, and now, all of that would be gone.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder if all the emotions she was feeling were the ones that her own mother had experienced when she had gone off to school. She suddenly felt as if she understood her mother a lot better than she ever had. All those dreadfully long goodbyes at the train station and owls she had received nearly every day for two months during her first year — she finally realized the reason behind all of that. That was what it meant to be a mother.

As she cut Adele's sandwich in half, Hermione first noticed the tears on her cheeks. She wiped them away with her sleeve, but by the time she had the sandwich packed away they were back again. She promised herself that she wasn't going to cry in front of Adele; she'd save her tears for when she was alone.

The last thing she wanted to do was show her daughter that she was upset. If Adele saw, she might feel guilty about leaving. Hermione swore that she wasn't going to jeopardize Adele's happiness.

When she heard the familiar sound of Adele running down the stairs, Hermione tried to hide any evidence that she had been crying. She absolutely had to keep a straight face. Hermione told herself that it shouldn't be much of a problem; however when Adele came bursting into the kitchen, she found herself ready to crack.

"Are you all packed up?" she asked, the strain in her voice giving her away.

"What's wrong, Mum?"

"Nothing's wrong, love."

Hermione hoped her daughter believed that. If she started to talk about what had her so upset, she'd be an even bigger wreck. Nothing she could have done could have prepared her for her little one leaving the nest for months at a time. She was envious of all the mothers who got to keep their children until it was time for them to go to university or find a job. Having to let go of her child when Adele was still so young was one of the few things she hated about the Wizarding world.

"You were crying, weren't you?"

"Of course not," she said, putting on a smile. "Why would I be crying? This is an exciting day."

"Then why is your mascara is running?"

Before she knew it, Adele had her arms wrapped tightly around her waist, giving her the biggest hug she could muster.

"It's okay to cry, Mum. I'm going to miss you too."

That was all she could take. The flood gates broke down, and there wasn't anything left to hold back the tears. Pulling Adele as close as she possibly could, Hermione held her there for a long while, planting kisses on her forehead every now and then.

Reaching for a tissue, she dried up her tears and tried to clean up her runny make-up. It wouldn't be forever; she knew that. As hard as it would be, she'd have her daughter back at Christmas time. Taking a deep breath, she regained her composure and smiled.

"You'll write to me everyday?" she asked, running her fingers through Adele's ginger curls.

"Everyday?" Adele rolled her eyes. "Not everyday. Maybe every week."

"Brat."

"But you love me for it."

"I do more than you'll ever know, Adele."

Unable to resist the urge, she pulled her daughter to her once more. This time there was no tears or sobs. Instead, Hermione tried to express all the things she couldn't find words for. She hoped that her daughter really did know that she meant the world to her.

"Alright, dear, what do you say we finish packing your lunch? What kind of snacks do you want?"

"How about some sweets?" Adele proposed.

Hermione, being a dentist and all, had to cringe. Knowing how much she disapproved of sweets, Adele loved to bring it up every so often. When Hermione would drop her off at a friend's house, she would promise to eat a whole bunch while she was gone. They both knew it was an empty threat but still one that got on Hermione's nerves.

"You must be out of your mind."

"We'll see, Mum. I have a whole stash around here somewhere."

With that, Adele shot out of the room and up the stairs before Hermione had the chance to say anything. All she was able to do was smile. How did she get blessed with such a wonderful little girl? Difficult at times, yes, but absolutely wonderful and smart beyond her years. While rolling the question around in her mind, Hermione finished up the lunch.

* * *

While her mum finished packing up the car, Adele leaned into the back of the car to scratch Vincent under the chin. He pawed at the door of the pet carrier to show his disapproval of the cage.

"Sorry, Vince, but Mum says you have to stay in there. Don't worry; I'll let you out on the train."

"Are you ready?" her mother asked, getting into the vehicle.

"Yes, can we go?"

"Not until you get buckled up, young lady. How many times do I have to tell you?"

Adele rolled her eyes and reached for the seat belt. Couldn't they just get going? As soon as she was on the train, it would be official. She would really be a Hogwarts student. She didn't have time to worry about seat belts and the like.

"Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes, Mum, I've got it all. That's like the twentieth time you've asked me."

Honestly, why did her mother worry so much? Was she planning on driving her mad before she left for school? It wasn't like she was really forgetful. Her mum had reminded her about a few little things, but they were only things her mum would actually think about. And they hadn't been anything she absolutely had to have like her wand.

Suddenly, Adele put her hand over her mouth and went bug eyed. She didn't remember placing her wand in her trunk. How could she be such an idiot! A witch forgetting her wand? Who had ever heard of such a thing?

"Wait, Mum! I forgot something!"

"This is why I asked you twenty times if you had everything."

Forcing the door open, Adele jumped out of the car before her mother had even made a complete stop. With a slam of the door, she quickly ran to the house.

* * *

Hermione sighed deeply. Despite what Adele thought, she had actually reminded her to check for a reason. It might have been annoying, but Adele should have listened. Putting the car in park, she watched Adele fiddle with her key, and disappear into the flat.

Where had all the time gone? It seemed as if it was only yesterday that she was holding a tiny bundle in her arms all swaddled up in pink. Hermione didn't know how many times she had kissed her baby girl that first day, taking in the scent of her small tufts of ginger hair.

But if it seemed like yesterday that Adele was born, why did it seem like an eternity since she'd been separated from him? She could recall every detail so vividly that it was painful. At times, she would replay what had happened over and over again in her mind, as if she were watching from a Pensieve, and knew now where she had gone so wrong back then.

The whole situation was one huge mess. She should have never left the morning after, should have never assumed that Ron would have regretted being with her. They had made that promise, but, looking back, it seemed a bit foolish. There was no sense in waiting; it wouldn't have changed anything between them. He wouldn't have respected her any more or less, loved her any more or less. But at the time, she hadn't been able to get that through her head.

And when she had first discovered she was having his child, she should have gone to him right away. She knew now that she shouldn't have waited to feel him out on the subject of children. Now she realized that had only made her over analyze every little thing that he had said or done. Maybe he really had wanted to have a child with her, albeit not so soon, but it was certainly a possibility. And if he hadn't wanted to be a father, then that should have been his choice… But instead, it was her regret to bear.

Out of all the problems that they'd had, the hardest thing for her to accept had been finding Ron in the arms of another woman. Ginny had warned her about Eva's reputation. Hermione tried to brush it off as nothing, but in reality, she didn't know if she could handle Eva training Ron to be an Auror. She'd gone to Ginny to talk about the situation. It was a pointless thing to do though; no matter how many times Ginny had told her that Ron wouldn't be interested in Eva, Hermione couldn't believe that. She'd seen them together. Slowly, she had had to watch the love of her life being stolen away from her.

And so many times she tried to tell him about their unborn child, but that damnable woman got in the way at every attempt she made. Just before she left, Hermione thought long and hard about leaving him to her. But it was what he wanted, wasn't it? If she blurted out that they were having a child, he would have likely stuck around due to obligation. That was one thing that she couldn't handle.

"Where are you now, Ron?"

That question had plagued her a lot over the years. He was no doubt a fantastic Auror; it had been his dream since childhood, so she knew that he would put all his heart and soul into it. Had he stayed with Eva? She doubted it very much given the woman's reputation. But surely after all these years he'd found someone to take her place at his side. He probably had a wonderful wife and troop of little red headed Weasleys. It was a bittersweet thought. If that was the case, she was very happy for him, but she also couldn't easily let go of the thought that one day, long ago, she'd wished that she would have one day been Mrs. Ronald Weasley and that they did, in fact, share a beautiful little girl together.

By allowing Adele to return to the world that she had forsaken, she would probably would cross paths with Ron again. After all, her little secret would finally be out and about at Hogwarts. The Weasleys knew enough people there that surely it would get out to somebody.

Her reunion with Ron was something that she both feared and desired. She'd dreamt an unrealistic dream where he would pull her into his arms and all would be forgiven. Hermione wasn't naïve enough to believe that. He was going to hate her, and she rightly deserved it.

Her only wish was that Adele wouldn't be anymore of a victim in the situation than she already was. She had to hope that Ron would love Adele dearly despite all that she had done to him.

* * *

On their way to King's Cross, Adele watched the scenery as it went by. There were many buildings and shops that lined the streets, but they weren't anything like the ones at Diagon Alley. There wasn't anything exciting inside of them, nothing magical, just plain, everyday, boring merchandise.

Non-magical people no longer seemed interesting to watch. They didn't dress in fantastic robes or carry wands. They'd never performed magic or had eaten Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, which her mother allowed her to try on their shopping trip. At some point in time, they stopped being like her and suddenly became Muggles.

"What are you thinking about, pumpkin?"

Adele looked over at her mother. Did she feel this way too? The people she worked with, her patients, her own mum and dad, did she see them all as Muggles? Adele hadn't even been a part of the Wizarding world that long, and she felt different from everyone. Her mother, who had lived as a witch for a long time, returned to the normal world. How could she have done it?

"Mum, do you feel different?"

"I don't understand. Different how?"

"Like, you know." Adele found difficulty in forming the right words. "Well, you're a witch, but you live as a Muggle. How do you keep from doing magic?"

"Oh, that. It wasn't easy to adjust at first. But I had lived without magic before, so I was certainly able to do it again."

"Did Grandmum and Granddad understand you? You know, because they're Muggle and you're a witch."

"Oh, Adele."

Adele understood by the tone in her mother's voice that it was a topic she didn't want to discuss. But much to her relief, it wasn't that warning tone that she had heard so often those past few weeks.

"What? It's an honest question."

"It was difficult on them. They didn't really understand. Actually, they still don't. It's not their fault though. And don't you start looking down on Muggles, young lady," her mother warned.

"I wasn't looking down on them!"

"Just like in the Muggle world, there are also prejudices in the Wizarding world. People look down on Muggles, Squibs, Muggle-borns, and house-elves. It's a bunch of rubbish too, so don't believe a word of it. Adele, someone once believed that it's not our abilities but our choices that makes us who we really are."

"Who said that?"

"Albus Dumbledore. He was a great man, one I truly respected. It's a good philosophy to have, so you should take it to heart."

Adele couldn't help but wonder who this Albus was. Was he someone who went to school with her mum? An old friend maybe? Whatever he was, her mum talked about him in the past tense, so apparently he was no longer alive.

Oh, and what exactly was a Squib? Just as she was about to ask, her mother pulled into the train station parking lot.

"Here we are. Get Vincent; I'll take care of your trunk. We're running a bit behind, so let's hurry up!"

Adele's eyes couldn't move fast enough as she tried to catch of glimpse of anything that looked remotely magical. The people looked normal though, and there were no signs that had any magic related names. So, Adele kept a look out for platform nine and three- quarters.

When her mother announced that they had arrived at the platform, Adele was quite confused. Behind her was the sign for platform nine and in front of her was the one for platform ten, but no where did she see platform nine and three-quarters.

"Umm, Mum, where exactly is it?"

"Right through there, dear." Her mother pointed to the wall in front of them. "Take your cart and run along."

"Run into a wall? Are you out of your mind?!"

"Would you just trust me? I've done this many times. Now go, Adele."

"But, Mum," she groaned.

"Quickly! If you don't go soon you won't have to worry about going to Hogwarts because the train will have left you behind."

Leave her behind after all the waiting she had done? Not a chance. Summoning up as much courage as she could muster, Adele took the cart handle and ran, praying that she wasn't about to fall, quite literally, for some joke. When she opened her eyes on the other side, she was absolutely mesmerized.

* * *

On the platform groups of people were packed in front of a shiny red engine that read _Hogwarts Express_. Children were being hugged by their parents; some parents were saying tearful goodbyes to their first years while others received a quick kiss on the cheek from their older children and watched as the children located their friends and disappeared onto the train.

"Come on, love. It's time to load up," Hermione said, handing her daughter Vincent's traveling basket before taking the trunk off the cart.

"Adele!" Suddenly, Akemi appeared from the boarding steps of the train. "I found a compartment all to ourselves! We're finally going to Hogwarts! I'm so excited."

"Yeah, me too!"

"Let's go," Akemi said.

The time had come. Hermione kissed Adele's head when she came over for her goodbye. Knowing that Adele would be itching to get on the train, Hermione didn't keep her very long. When she set her daughter loose, Adele and her friend began chatting away as they fought through the crowd to get onto the train.

In truth, Hermione had a difficult time letting ago. She felt as if it were the last few moments that Adele was truly hers. Now, she'd have to share her with the entire Wizarding world. It was a difficult concept to wrap her mind around. So many years she'd had her little girl all to herself, and never once had she taken it for granted, but Hermione still felt like she'd been cheated as a mother. She wanted to open her mouth, wanted to call Adele back to her. Hermione wished that she could just keep her at the house forever. But that would be selfish and cruel; and she had done enough selfish and cruel things in her life.

Besides, she had to focus on the positive things. Adele had a friend now, one that she could truly connect with, considering that none of her other friends were witches. Hogwarts would be good for her too. It would teach her and mature her, make her independent and strong. Adele would be all right without her mummy to protect her. Hermione knew that was what she had to keep telling herself.

Hearing the sound of the whistle, Hermione searched for Adele's face among all the children who were saying their final goodbyes to their parents. With little time to spare, she found the girls waving from the window first to who she assumed were Akemi's parents and then turning their attention to her.

"Bye, Mum! I love you!"

"I love you too, baby. Don't forget to write me. And keep up with your studies. Limit your sweets. Don't put off doing your homework. Oh! And no copying!"

The last thing she saw was Adele's smile as the pair withdrew from the window. She tried to smile too. It was on her lips for a fleeting second before she was overcome with emotions. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

There was so much that she never told her. Before Adele left, she should have sat her down and explained all about Ron. A girl should know who her father is. But she was scared that Adele would hate her.

Her problems were much worse now though. She'd just sent her baby into an unfamiliar world where people could say something to her about her father and mother, could make up such believable lies, and poor Adele wouldn't know what to think or who she could trust.

She didn't have the chance to fix things this time around either. It was as if her exit and reentrance into the Wizarding world would be littered with mistakes. When did she, Hermione Granger, become so frightfully awful with dealing with life? She could figure out the most difficult arithmancy problems, translate runes as if she were reading her own language, but none of that mattered. None of that could help her understand and cope with basic human needs and emotions. And it was there that she had gone wrong so many times. Brightest witch of her age? Maybe, but she was a considerably stupid woman.

Now she had to face all of her demons, had to roll with the punches and take whatever wrath may fall upon her. She'd done this, she reminded herself. It was high time she owned up to it.

* * *

Filing into their compartment, the girls arranged Adele's trunk by the window, then took a seat beside each other. Immediately they began to chat away about the last two weeks and their shared anticipation for Hogwarts.

After about an hour and a half, Adele decided to take out Vincent, who was obviously growing restless and agitated from being locked in a cage all day. The kitten soon began playing with its mistress, making swats at her hand with its small paw.

"Aww, he's so cute, Adele. What's his name?"

"It's Vincent. I bought him at the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley. Did you bring a pet?"

"Oh, yeah, I'll show you."

Akemi crossed over to the other side where her things were stashed. Standing on the seat, she was just tall enough to reach a square box with holes cut out. Jumping down, she fell back into her spot, fiddled with the lid, and took out a huge toad.

Adele scrunched up her nose at the sight. Though she didn't have anything against toads, she never thought they were particularly cute creatures. She certainly wouldn't want one for a pet. Yet, it seemed as if Akemi thought it was as cute as Vincent or maybe even cuter by the way she was talking to it and petting it between the eyes.

"Does it have a name?"

"Warren," she replied cheerfully. "I know you must be thinking that I'm very weird, but I've always liked toads."

"It's not really weird. He's sort of cute in his own way, I guess."

When the girls were in the middle of giggling over something Adele said, the door slid open. A shaggy haired boy stepped inside the compartment, looking a little embarrassed. Adele and Akemi looked at him and smiled.

"Excuse me, but can I crash in here for the rest of the way? I was a few cars up, but it was getting cramped."

"Sure!" Adele chirped. "The more the merrier."

He shuffled in with his things and secured them. Sitting on the seat opposite the girls, he took off the covering to what was presumably a cage, revealing an owl.

"There, that's a bit better, don't you think?" he asked the bird before turning his attention to the girls. "The name's Gawain Wood, and this is my barred owl, Elsie."

"Gawain Wood? Why does that sound familiar?" Then Akemi remembered. "You're the son of Oliver Wood, Puddlemere United's famous Keeper!"

"Yeah, that's me," he replied, blushing.

"Wow, your dad's a celebrity? That's so cool. I wish I had a famous parent," Adele said. "Are you going to playing Quidditch at Hogwarts?"

Soon after Adele had learned about the Wizarding world, she asked her mother if she could read some books about it. That's when they went over to her grandparents, and her mum dug out all her old school books. Some of them were very dull; _Hogwarts: A History_ stood out in her mind. But she was definitely fascinated with the books about Quidditch.

"Actually, I'm ruddy awful at it," he explained. "Oh, I didn't catch the names."

"Oh, sorry, I'm Adele, and this is Vincent."

"Akemi. It's a pleasure." She held up her toad. "This here is Warren."

Gawain began to fish around for something in his rucksack and returned with a crumpled brown paper bag. Opening the sack, he pulled out two sandwiches then proceeded to offer them to the girls.

"Want one? They're ham and cheese. Mum packed too many for me to eat."

"Thanks," the girls said in unison.

Soon, all of the packed lunches were being shared and traded between the three of them. They chatted quite a bit, passed around their pets, talked a little about their families, and then spoke about Hogwarts for the rest of the ride.

"I'm really excited! Are you nervous about being sorted?" Akemi asked.

"Sorted?"

"I thought you told me you'd read all about Hogwarts. Must have skipped over that chapter," she replied. "At Hogwarts, the first years are sorted into the houses that they'll stay in until they leave school. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin," Gawain said.

"Oh yeah, now I remember Mum telling me something like that. What house do you want to be sorted into?"

"I wouldn't mind being sorted into Ravenclaw," Akemi answered.

"My dad was a Gryffindor, but my mum was a Ravenclaw. I'm not sure where I'll end up. How about you, Adele?"

"Um, well both my parents went to Hogwarts, but I'm not sure what house they were in. My mum won't tell me. She says that I shouldn't dig around in her past and all."

"That's not fair," Gawain stated. "What does your dad think about that?"

Adele's ears became suddenly red at the mention of her father. How was she supposed to explain the situation when she didn't even know what happened? Would her friends think she was odd because of the circumstances surrounding her dad?

And while they were on the topic of her father, how exactly was she going to find out about him? Where would she look first? Mr. Ollivander said that her father was an Auror, but there had to be more than a few of them if they were like the police. She didn't even know where the Auror office was. Even if she did, she doubted they'd just let her waltz right on in.

She did know he went to Hogwarts though. But like the Auror lead, she didn't know where to go looking for any information on him. How does someone go about searching for a person without a name? Adele really never took all of that into consideration before. She was so confident about finding him, that she never took the things that might get in her way into account. With her limited knowledge of the Wizarding world, she worried if she was going to be successful at all. But she had to try!

"I- uhh, err…. I don't have a dad."

"What are you talking about, 'Dele? You just said your parents went to Hogwarts," said Akemi.

"Well, I never knew my father. My mum had me when she was really young. Maybe my dad didn't want me."

"Aw, you don't know that," the boy spoke. "Listen your dad must be completely daft not to want you. You're better off without him."

"You think so, Gawain?"

"Sure, don't let it worry you."

"I know you said you wanted to find out stuff about him. Maybe Gawain and I can help you."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Sure," they answered.

Adele was ecstatic. With two other people working with her, there was a good chance that they'd be able to find something out, especially since Gawain and Akemi grew up in the Wizarding world.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Hogsmeade. The trio could hardly contain themselves. They cleaned up and got ready to leave the train.

Adele was about to burst when the train came to a halt. Soon she would be able to see the school she had read about. Things couldn't get much better. She already had two wonderful friends, and it was the beginning of seven magical years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

* * *

AN: Thanks to my beta, PigWithHair. This story wouldn't be half as enjoyable if it wasn't for her! Also, thanks to everyone who is following this fic. 


	4. The Sorting

Chapter Four: The Sorting 

As Adele stepped off the train, she tried to take in her surroundings. Except for the voices in the distance and chatting between the students, everything was eerily quiet. Adele had difficulty understanding why they stopped in the middle of nowhere. Weren't they supposed to be in Hogsmead

"Say, Gawain," she called.

He fiddled with the collar of his robe before turning to her. "Yeah?"

"Aren't we supposed to get off at Hogsmeade station?"

"This is the station. It's on the outskirts of town."

Seeing that he was much more interested in fixing his robes than giving her any more information, Adele turned from Gawain with a huff. She stood up on her tip toes, trying to see over the other first years' heads and between the taller upperclassmen to view the village down the road.

Hogsmeade? She wondered what kind of place it was. Was it an all-Wizarding community, or were there Muggles living there too? Did a lot of people travel to the village beside Hogwarts students? More specifically, could she ask around about her father there? Of course, that would have to be after she found out what his name was. There wouldn't be much sense in going before then.

As Adele turned around, she nearly squeaked when she heard a booming voice coming from the hill. A great man carrying a lantern walked up to the students. The older ones didn't look terrified in the least, but Adele was frightened. She'd never seen anyone so tall or wide in her entire life.

"Firs' years!" He waved a large hand in the air. "Firs' years! Yer comin' with me."

Adele shook her head. She couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. The last thing she wanted to do was go anywhere with the giant-like man. Trying to stay positive, she told herself that Hogwarts wouldn't hire anyone that would hurt children. It was a school after all, but then again, she knew nothing about Wizarding schools. They could be very different from the schools she'd been exposed to.

"Adele, hurry up! We're going to lose Gawain," Akemi said, tugging Adele in the direction of the large man.

When they got to the front of the first year group, Adele tried to hide behind Gawain as much as possible. Much to her displeasure, it wasn't a second after they stopped that the giant man turned to them.

"Hey, don' I know yeh?" He paused, his gaze falling heavily on Gawain and Adele. "O' course! Yer Gawain, Oliver Wood's boy. Why, the last time I saw yeh, yeh was jus' a little thin'."

"Hagrid, right?"

"Ah, so yeh do remember me. I bet yer goin' ter be quite the Quidditch player, followin' in yer dad's footsteps an' all."

Adele, feeling a little better about Hagrid, stepped out from behind Gawain, as Hagrid turned to another group of first years. She didn't miss the blush on Gawain's cheeks. It was the second time that someone brought up Quidditch in his presence, and it seemed like he was embarrassed about it. Adele wasn't sure if it was the fact that his father was famous, or the fact that Gawain was "ruddy awful" at Quidditch that bothered him the most.

"So, you've been to Hogwarts before?" Adele asked him.

"Yeah, a few years back when my dad came to a Gryffindor Quidditch match. He thought it would be something I'd enjoy."

By the tone of his voice, Adele could easily see that it was not something he'd enjoyed. She couldn't help but wonder if the game was something that his father pushed on him without considering that maybe Gawain didn't like it. The situation was similar to hers. Like Gawain never had the chance to really decide for himself whether he was interested in Quidditch, her mother never gave her the choice between the Muggle world and the Wizarding world.

"Do you know a lot of the staff here, Gawain?" Akemi asked as the first years began to follow Hagrid down the hill.

"Mm, not really. I think it's the other way around. My dad talks about me a lot when he's at Hogwarts. Tells people… ah never mind."

"Well at least you know he's proud of you, right?" Akemi said with a sad smile. "My parents pretend I don't exist most of the time."

The statement was one that shocked Adele. How could Akemi's mum and dad just ignore her? For as long as she knew Akemi, she thought that she was a really smart girl and didn't seem like a trouble-maker. What reason could they have for disliking their daughter?

Though Adele had Muggle friends, she'd never experienced something like that before. They all lived fairly normal lives, not having any problems other than the normal differences between parent and child. Ever since she learned that she was a witch and had started to hold a grudge against her mother, Adele felt a bit different from her friends. But Akemi and Gawain could understand her.

"Why do your parents do that?" she inquired.

"My little sister is really gifted. She can already do all sorts of amazing things with her magic. The wizards and witches that live near us say that she's going to be something great, so I get pushed to the side." Akemi grinned, acting like the situation didn't bother her much. "It's not a big deal really. Who would want to be in that kind of limelight all the time anyway?"

From the sound of it and the look on Akemi's face, Adele thought that maybe Akemi would like to be. She didn't know what it was like to have a brother or sister, but Adele imagined that it would be really hard to have to compete for attention and affection.

Adele, lost in thought, nearly ran into Gawain's back. Behind Hagrid was a large lake with little boats docked on the bank. In the daylight it might have been clear, but right then the water was an inky black. The idea of not being able to see what was in the water made her nervous. She didn't know anything about magical creatures, but she figured that not all of them were as cute as the ones she saw at the Magical Menagerie.

"Alright, yeh'll be goin' across the lake, so load up inter the boats. No more'n four in one. Wouldn' want the boat ter tip. We haven' lost nobody yet ter the giant squid, but tha' doesn' mean accidents can' happen."

Giant squid? Who in their right mind would keep a giant squid in the school lake? She didn't know anything about squids, but they certainly sounded dangerous, especially the big kind. And she was going to have to go across the lake in a little boat that would leave her helpless to the creature? Adele wasn't sure if going to Hogwarts was worth becoming potential squid food. However before she was able to protest, Akemi was leading her to a boat where Gawain and a boy with mousy brown hair sat.

Words couldn't explain how happy Adele was to be off the boat. For the entire ride, her eyes kept straying to the water to see if she could see anything moving underneath her. Once, she thought she did, but the others seemed to think that it was just her imagination.

Since her terrifying ride across the lake left her little time to concentrate on the scenery, Adele got her first good look of Hogwarts after coming out of the stone passageway. It was absolutely magical. She couldn't have dreamed of something so perfect. It was definitely worth braving the squid.

As the group walked up the stairs to the castle, Adele was trying to take everything in. If it was that wonderful at nighttime, she could only imagine what it was like in the daylight. She could hardly wait for morning.

While they waited on the steps, Hagrid knocked on the large doors three times. When the door opened, Adele held her breath. That was it; she was finally going to be at Hogwarts, inside the school she'd been dreaming about for weeks.

A round faced man stepped out onto the steps. Adele thought that there was nothing very intimidating about him when she first looked, unlike Hagrid.

"This here is Professor Longbottom. He'll be teachin' yeh Herbology." Hagrid turned to the professor. "Here's the firs' years, Neville."

"Thanks, Hagrid." As Hagrid walked off, Professor Longbottom motioned for the students to follow him. "This way. It's almost time for the Sorting."

The professor led them into the entrance, and Adele couldn't seem to keep her mouth closed. She couldn't take in enough of the entrance hall. From the corner of her eye, she saw something move. When she turned to see what it was, she found that there was a ghost. Though some part of her told her that she should be afraid, she wasn't. Her mind was far too busy absorbing the fact that those kinds of things to exist. And if ghosts were real, what other things were?

Adele expected to be going towards the loud voices coming from a big room to the right, but instead they were going in the opposite direction. Soon, she found herself in a small room along with the rest of the first years. She wondered if they were going to be sorted in there.

"Welcome! I suppose you're all wondering what you're doing in here while everyone else is in the Great Hall. Well you're going to be sorted soon. Don't be nervous or anything. I know I was my first year, but there's nothing to worry about.

"For those of you who don't know, the Sorting ceremony will determine which house you will belong to while you're at Hogwarts. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You can both gain and lose points for your house, and at the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the house cup. Any questions?" He waited for a moment, but no one spoke up. "Alright then, I have to make sure everything is ready. I'll be back in a minute."

When he left, the first years began to talk amongst each other. Professor Longbottom was the topic of most conversations. Adele had to wonder why. He seemed like an ordinary man. With the best of her ability, she tried to listen in, but because everyone was trying to talk over each other, it sounded like a garbled mess.

"Kem, what are they talking about?" Adele asked.

"Oh, Professor Longbottom is a war hero. He fought in the Second War alongside Harry Potter."

"Oh, right. I remember now. Sorry."

To be honest, she didn't remember. In fact, she didn't know even know who Harry Potter was. Apparently though, he and Professor Longbottom must have done something big. Maybe they took down an evil warlock or something. As much as she wanted to find more out, she didn't want to ask for fear of looking stupid.

It wasn't a moment later that Professor Longbottom returned to the room and the talking quickly ceasing. He told the first years to line up and led them towards the Great Hall. Before taking them into the room, he wished them good luck.

The Great Hall was even more amazing than the outside of Hogwarts and the entrance hall way combined. The first thing to catch her eye were the candles floating in mid air. Not many of the other first years were shocked by this, and she was jealous of them. If her mother hadn't kept her from that world, she would have grown up like all the other Wizarding children.

The second thing and most wonderful yet, was the ceiling. It took her a few minutes to actually notice it, but when she did she let out a tiny gasp. It looked like there was no ceiling at all. There was nothing but black sky and shining stars above her. She hoped that her bedroom ceiling might be bewitched like that too.

As the line rounded the corner to go in front of everyone, Adele began to grow very nervous. What was it like to be sorted? Was it painful? She hoped not. She also hoped that she didn't have to do a magical test or anything along those lines. Her mother had refused to help her learn any magic before she left, and it would be embarrassing to have to do that in front of everyone and fail.

Which house had her parents belonged to? It was something that she'd wondered when her mother first explained to her that there were different houses. She guessed that her mum was probably in Ravenclaw because she was really smart. None of the other houses seemed like they would fit her personality. But what about her dad? She wondered if he could have been in the same house as her mum. Maybe that's how they met. It would make sense.

As Adele looked to the left, Professor Longbottom sat a stool in front of the first years. Then, he took out a shabby looking hat. Adele grimaced. So she would have to do something with a dirty old hat? But what could they possibly have her do? Just as she was about to nudge Akemi in the side and mouth her question, Adele noticed that everyone was quieting down and staring at the hat as if it were going to do something.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from a great big tear near the brim of the hat. It startled her at first, but as soon as the hat got to the second verse in its song, she became more interested than anything. It sang about the four founders and their houses then finished up with announcing that the Sorting was going to begin.

When applause erupted around the room, Adele grew nervous again. What if she didn't belong to any house? What if the Sorting Hat said that she didn't belong at Hogwarts, that she wasn't talented enough? This place was the only connection she had to her father, and if she got turned away, she would never be able to find him. Adele was nearly in tears.

"When I call your name, sit on the stool and put on the hat, please." Opening a long piece of parchment paper, Professor Longbottom cleared his throat. "Atkins, Henry!"

A sandy haired boy seemed almost startled to hear his named called. Quickly, he shuffled up to the stool and sat on it. Donning the hat, it only took moments before it shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers, welcoming the boy to his new house. He didn't seem as nervous when he sat down and began to chat with the rest of his housemates.

Several more students were sorted before "Glanville, Edward." He became a Gryffindor with an enormous amount of cheers hailing from the table on the far right.

Knowing that it wouldn't be long before she was called, Adele prepared herself. It didn't seem like it hurt, so there shouldn't be any worry there. The biggest question she had at that point was where she was going to be put. Before she had the chance to think anymore, the next name was called.

"Granger, Adele."

As Adele walked to the stool, she noticed several people giving her odd looks, one of which was Professor Longbottom. Was there something on her face? Were her robes put on wrong? She didn't think so. She checked to make sure she looked all right before she left the train. Of course, why should she be surprised that people were staring at her? All witches and wizards stared. At least, that had been her experience.

Adele plopped herself down on the stool and put the hat on her head. She wrinkled her nose. How many heads had that hat been on anyway? It even felt a dirty. She hoped that it didn't take much longer for something to happen.

"Ah, yes, it has been some time since I have seen one of you," the hat said suddenly, frightening her. "But this is interesting… yes very much so. Not like the others before you. No, not at all. You have courage, it is certain. There is something else though. You are in search of something very important to you. There are answers that you seek. You have a thirst for knowledge. There is only one thing that can be said in that case… RAVENCLAW!"

Taking the Sorting Hat off her head, Adele sat it back down gently. Ravenclaw, then? Well if she was right, her mother had been in Ravenclaw too. Her situation was looking good. Now if only she was lucky enough to find that her dad had been in Ravenclaw as well.

The sorting went quickly after that. It was probably all the nervousness and anticipation that made it seem like a long time. But after her sorting, Adele felt like she could relax. However when it was nearing Akemi's turn, Adele grew antsy. Akemi had to be in Ravenclaw, just had to!

"Kano, Akemi!"

Though it couldn't have been longer than a couple moments, Adele swore it was taking forever. As she crossed her fingers, she held her breath. _Please, let her be in —_

"RAVENCLAW!"

Her heart must have skipped a beat. She wouldn't have to worry about making new friends or being lonely. Now she had Akemi with her.

Adele and Akemi sat side by side, watching as the last of the first years were waiting to be sorted. Gawain was still up there, and Adele was worried for him. It wouldn't be fair if he'd made friends with them just to have to make new friends again. And Adele liked Gawain. He was really nice to her even before he knew much about her. Not to mention that she felt like she had a lot in common with him.

"Wood, Gawain!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Smiling, Gawain made his way through the group of older Ravenclaws, who were congratulating him, to sit beside Adele and Akemi. Akemi tried to say something to Gawain, but Adele couldn't hear over the shouting and cheers of the Gryffindor table who were welcoming their newest addition. With one final Hufflepuff, the sorting was finally over.

The students began chatting away until an older witch stood up from behind the staff table. Everyone hushed up, and Adele got the feeling that she wasn't anyone to mess around with.

"Students and faculty, I welcome you to another magnificent year at Hogwarts," she said. "I know you all must be terribly famished, so let us make this short and sweet, shall we? No student is permitted to enter the Forbidden Forest. Do not let me catch you letting this slip your mind.

"Secondly at the request of our caretaker, Mr. Filch, I am to remind all of you that there is to be no magic performed in the corridors between classes. Please consider that.

"Quidditch trials will be held during the second week of term like previous years. Contact your heads of house for more information.

"Lastly, I want to inform you all that Professor Telford will not be joining us this year. He had a rather unfortunate accident with an engorging potion and is currently hospitalized in St. Mungos. For some time I thought we were finally going to break this yearly Defense Against the Dark Arts curse. However, it seems that we must once again hire a new professor. It is my pleasure to have Professor Harry Potter on our staff this year."

The once silent students immediately began to gossip. Adele didn't know what to think of all that. Harry Potter? He must be someone very important. She thought it would probably be a good idea to look him up in a book once she got settled into school.

"Harry Potter? Really? Do you here that, Jim? The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice teaching us Defense?" said a boy across the table from Adele.

"Yeah, my dad mentioned something about it. Rumors have been going around the Ministry for a week now. Dad couldn't believe Mr. Potter would leave his position, but he reckons it's for the greater good. No better defense against the Dark Arts then _The_ Defense Against The Dark Arts.

It was a lot for Adele to take in. Ministry? Mr. Potter was a minister? But why was he teaching defense? None of it made any sense to her.

"Professor Potter couldn't be with us tonight due to some last minute business. But rest assured, he will be here tomorrow in time for your class. Now, I think it's time that we feast," the witch announced.

With that, the long tables filled themselves with marvelous looking food. Ham, turkey, and chicken were the main courses. They were served with potatoes, sprouts, and peas. What looked even better were the desserts. Masses of ice cream, pies, and gateau replaced the meats and sides as the banquet proceeded.

Night was creeping on as the students were ushered to their respective houses. It was quite the walk to Ravenclaw tower at the west side of the castle. One prefect explained that it was conveniently placed near the owlery. Others disagreed that it might have been a blessing during the winter months, but the tower didn't smell so great as summer approached. Another older student noticed the first years' panicked faces and told them that air freshening charms were cast.

Stretching his arms, Gawain let out a loud yawn before running his fingers through his hair.

"I'm stuffed."

"It could have been the huge piece of pie," Kip, the boy from the boat who had managed to befriend the trio during dinner, offered.

"Or maybe it was the two pieces of gateau," Adele added.

"They weren't pieces, more like slivers. Besides, I'm a growing boy," Gawain defended.

"Well if you're not careful, you're going to be growing wider instead of taller," Akemi said matter-of-factly, as she passed the boys to walk beside Adele.

Gawain made a face while Akemi wasn't looking, which sent Kip into a fit of laughter. Soon, Gawain joined him. The two girls looked over their shoulders and rolled their eyes.

"Boys," they said in unison before walking through the threshold to the Ravenclaw common room.

Adele thought the room looked very comfortable. There were bookshelves everywhere. Adele didn't think that there were that many books in Florish and Blott's. Everything was done in shades of blues and bronzes. The ceiling was painted with stars, but Adele didn't think it was enchanted like she'd wished.

Aside from the books, some comfortable looking blue chairs and couches surrounded the fireplace area, and desks were scattered about the room waiting to be filled. Several pictures of former students hung on the wall waving at the new comers. Adele had never seen magical pictures before and was quite engrossed. The thought occurred to her that there wasn't one dull thing about the Wizarding world. She'd only wished she'd been a part of it sooner.

After saying goodnight to the boys, Adele and Akemi made their way up to the girls' dormitory. They shared their room with two other girls who seemed to be quiet friendly, which the girls were thankful for. They chatted for a bit, but it wasn't long before the four were agreeing that it was most definitely bedtime.

As she pulled the deep blue bed curtains together, Adele couldn't wait to go to sleep. Falling back onto the bed, she immediately curled up in her blankets and began to take in the day's events. She'd met some great friends on the ride to school, which was a plus. But all that sorting business was more stressful than it should have been. She'd learned so much over the course of a day, yet all that information came with new questions. The biggest one still remained, however. How long would it be before she found her father?

* * *

It didn't matter whether he worked an eight-hour shift or a twelve, each day of the week seemed to stretch on longer than the last before the weekend came and went with a blink of the eye. Life as an Auror was hard, stressful work. In the end though, Ron knew it was well worth it. He could at least say he'd made a difference in the world when he looked back as an old, graying man. 

As of late he hadn't found much time to visit his family, which was why he was looking forward to Harry's welcome home party. He'd been abroad on an Auror mission for longer than Ron cared to count. It'd be nice to reunite with his best mate; now he wouldn't be so bloody bored at the office anymore.

Ron strolled up the path to the Burrow with little thought until something caught his eye. He couldn't help but smile. Near the front of his parents' house were his sister-in-law and nephew looking up at all the stars. He wasn't expecting Charlie and his family to be able to make it.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite sister-in-law. How have you been, Nicoletta?"

"I've been doing well. And you? We didn't think you would be coming tonight. Molly said you haven't been coming around much."

"They've been keeping me busy at the Ministry. Hardly have a moment to breath nowadays."

"If they keep that up, Molly will go there and give them hell. She's been complaining to your brothers about it all evening, as if they can do something about it. But really, Ron, you should try to come by more often. She worries about you," she said.

"I know."

Ron's attention quickly turned to the toddler on Nicoletta's hip. When he offered his hands, his nephew quickly took them. As Sammy began to giggle and coo, Ron felt a dull ache inside him. As he watched his niece and nephews grow up, Ron came to a conclusion. He wanted children more than anything. Children were something very precious, and Ron partially understood why his parents had so many. However, he could never truly understand the joys of fatherhood; that was something only Bill, Charlie, Percy and Fred would understand.

"Hey, Sammy. Did you miss your Uncle Ron while you were away?"

His nephew gurgled, tiny bubbles forming on his lips, and smacked Ron on the cheeks. Ron batted the hand away before placing a kiss on the child's head.

"Honestly, Ron, don't you think it's about time you settled down? You'd make a wonderful father."

Would he? He hoped so. He did want to get married and have children. He had watched all of his siblings, save for George, get married and start a family. Maybe it was time to start settling down. But the problem arose when he remembered he definitely needed to have someone to settle down with.

"Got to have a girl in order to make babies, Nic. In case you didn't notice, I happen to have no girl."

"You know, I'm not sure I've ever seen you bring a girlfriend home."

Ron sighed. "I haven't had one in years."

"But you're so handsome. You must have women begging for a date with you."

It was true enough. There were a few women in his department that showed interest in him, but he'd never taken them up on it. The women he dated after… _her_ were inadequate. He went in with the wrong mindset, dooming the relationship before it even had the chance to blossom. He couldn't help it. They just weren't her.

"The problem is I don't want just any woman."

"Well the right woman is bound to come along, right? She's got to be out there somewhere."

"I… don't know. She's out there somewhere, yeah, but I think she's already come and gone."

Nicoletta rubbed his back to comfort him. "I don't know what happened, Ron, and it's not really my business to ask. But everyone deserves a second chance. I'm speaking from experience here. Charlie and I have —"

"Charlie told me about that. It's not the same thing though. We're not… I didn't… She's the one…"

He was at a loss for words. How could he explain to her what happened and for what reasons when he didn't know why things had turned out the way they had. She looked up at him, waiting for him to collect his bearings. That was one of the things that made him connect with her so well; she was always so compassionate. Nicoletta had always wanted to help anyone with their problems. But this time she had to understand, some things just can't be repaired.

"I'm not much in the mood to talk about it, Nic."

"Alright then. Well if you ever need someone to talk to —"

"You'll be the first I floo. I promise." He looked down at his nephew in hopes of steering the conversation elsewhere and noticed his eye lids growing heavy. "Looks like this little guy could use some sleep."

Nicoletta took Sammy from him and smiled. "He's been up since early this morning. Charlie made the mistake of telling him that he might get to see his Uncle Ron today. You know how much he adores you. Poor thing could hardly contain himself. I should probably put him to sleep now."

"I'll see you in a bit then."

"You're not coming in?"

"I'm going to sit out here for a few. It's a nice night and all."

"Alright. I won't tell your mother you're out here. She'd have a fit if you didn't come see her directly."

"Thanks, Nic."

After hearing the sound of the door closing, Ron began to dig around in his back pocket for his wallet. He unfolded the leather and thumbed through the side pocket. Behind several business cards, his old apparition license, and his Auror badge, was a folded piece of thick paper.

Sitting down, Ron waited several moments before opening it. Every time he did, he swore it would be the last. Just one more look was all he wanted. But not surprisingly, one more time had turned into another, until he became aware that he would never be able to stop.

Unfolding the paper, Ron's heart began to beat loudly in his chest. There was that smile, the one he fell in love with. All he had left of it was his memories and the photo, but neither one seemed to do it justice. He wished he could see it in person one more time. But that was impossible and he knew it.

He'd tried to find her. Loads of times he took out books to find the spell for a locating charm. But whenever he did, he couldn't bring himself to perform it. He had pushed it aside, telling himself that he'd come back to it, that he needed a little more time to work things out. Then time had passed, and he still didn't know what the bloody hell had happened between them. Years went by and before long, he realized that she'd probably settled down with a Muggle, probably had children, none of which had red hair or freckles. That thought saddened him the most. He'd lost his chance with her, and he didn't even know how.

Was it the sex that upset her most? They'd never really talked about it. It was too awkward after the fact. But they had talked about other things. In fact, Ron thought that Hermione might even forgive him for breaking the promise. Then she had acted strange again.

He wasn't sure what triggered that either. It'd been around the time that he started working with Eva, but it wasn't like he was interested in her. Hermione was the only woman in his heart. Though over the years, Ron had to wonder if perhaps Hermione got jealous of their partnership. If that was the case, he would have done anything to assure her otherwise.

Nothing bothered him more than living life with questions unanswered and regrets. Hermione had up and left without so much as a word. It was if she exited his life just like she entered. It was sudden, and he wasn't sure how to take her.

He wondered if there was more to Hermione than she ever let on. She was such a complicated person who was so difficult to figure out sometimes. He thought that he knew all there was to know about her, but he guessed that he was wrong.

It was eleven years since she had left. That seemed like a lifetime to him. From time to time he wondered what it would be like to see her; he envisioned what their reunion would be like. Would they run into each other on the street one day? Would she show up in the Wizarding world where he could easily find her? It all seemed unrealistic to him.

If they did meet one day though, by some chance, what would it be like? He couldn't help but be angry with her for leaving without so much as a word or owl. In the beginning, he felt a fine mix of rage and guilt. But that dulled overtime to an unbearable sense of loneliness. He still loved her deeply. However he would be willing to let go of her if he knew she was happy.

As his stomach growled, Ron realized that he must have been standing outside for a good twenty minutes. He was starving. Placing the wallet back in his pocket, he took several steps to the door and walked inside, immediately being greeted by his family.

* * *

**AN:** Thanks to everyone who is following this story and my beta, PigWithHair! 


	5. The One Thing He Never Expected

Chapter Five: The One Thing He Never Expected

* * *

It wouldn't be an understatement to say that Harry was completely unprepared for teaching his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Yes, he had taught others before back in the good old D.A. days, but that was different. People had been there because they wanted to learn how to protect themselves; his students, on the other hand, were there because they had to be. It left him in a predicament. How the hell was he supposed to go about doing something like that? He sighed heavily. His newly appointed station left him with a greater appreciation for what his professors did back in his Hogwarts days. 

Taking another look at the parchment with his class roster listed, he skimmed through to see if he recognized any of the names.

Eldridge, Fairclough, Flynn, Giehl, Granger, Hawking… His mind processed something which his eyes had already trailed over. Granger? He tried not to think about it, tried not to overanalyze it. But despite his best attempts, Harry couldn't help but think of Hermione.

Why had she left? It had been the question in everyone's mind for so long. Time passed though, and he couldn't help but feel that Hermione had faded into the background of so many people's minds. Even the Weasleys had stopped bringing her up after a while. Whether it was out of respect for Ron or otherwise, he would never know. But Hermione never faded from him; she was still as vibrant as ever.

Adele Granger, was it? The odds of that child being related to Hermione couldn't be very good. After all, she wasn't the only person with that last name. Harry knew it would be wishful thinking to hope that this girl would lead him to Hermione. But who could blame him? His life hadn't been the same without Hermione in it. Neither was Ron's.

After Hermione had left, Harry saw a frightening change in his best mate. It was as if he had lost all will to live. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep; he stopped functioning all together. When his wounds had started to heal, Harry thought that he might get the real Ron back. Much to his dismay, all he'd got was a shadow of him. And from that day on, Ron had never been quite the same.

"Harry?"

Harry looked up to find Neville in the doorway. He'd have to thank him later for pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry for just coming in. I knocked, but you didn't answer. I thought maybe something was wrong."

"It's fine. How have you been, Neville?"

Taking that as an invitation to make himself comfortable, Neville sat in on of the chairs in front of Harry's desk. "Can't complain much. Things have been going well."

"And the baby?"

"Wonderful. Every bit of her mother and better off for it," he replied with a smile. "She started crawling a couple weeks ago."

"That's great to hear."

"Say, why haven't you and Ginny started having kids? You've been married for some time now. It's probably driving Mrs. Weasley absolutely mad."

It was certainly something that frustrated Harry whenever he thought about it. He should at least be able to live a normal life. And he wanted children, as did Ginny. In fact, the absence of them in their life created some waves in their relationship. He just couldn't bear the thought of being away from his child for weeks or months at a time. Not to mention that there was no guarantee that he could be there for Ginny while she was pregnant. So he wanted to wait until he had some downtime. Being who he was, though, didn't allow for much.

"We don't have the time to invest in one right now. The Ministry keeps sending me off on business."

"Just tell them to sod off, Harry."

"I wish," he said with a laugh.

"But I've been meaning to ask you something. When I heard you were coming here to teach Defense, I was a bit confused. You're still working in the Auror department, aren't you?"

"It's a bit complicated. There have been a lot of reports of Dark wizards stirring about lately, and abroad there have been some infiltrations of Wizarding schools. We're not sure what they're planning on doing, but we don't want it to happen at Hogwarts. They've put me here so I can keep an eye on things. But this is fairly hush-hush information, so don't let anyone else know, alright?"

"Yeah, I understand." Neville looked down at Harry's desk and something caught his eye. "Have you had a chance to look at the first years' roster yet?"

"I was just skimming through it. Why?"

"There's a girl with the last name Granger in Ravenclaw. I thought I'd let you know."

Ravenclaw? Harry glanced at the list of names. He'd just assumed that she was in Gryffindor because he was thinking of Hermione. To find out otherwise was a bit disappointing. The more he found out about her, the less he tied her with Hermione.

"Listen, Neville, I came across that girl too. But to think that she could be related to Hermione is crazy, isn't it? Especially since we don't even know what happened to her."

"Harry, I wasn't going to say anything because…well, it's not my place to. And it's probably nothing at all… but she has red hair. I'm sure you're right. I mean… you of all people would know, but maybe it's worthwhile to look into? It was just a thought." Neville looked at his watch. "I have a class that I have to prepare for. I'll see you later."

Harry hardly noticed Neville leave. Instead, his thoughts were entirely consumed by the fact that the Granger girl had red hair. Surely she couldn't be… could she? But that idea was absolutely ridiculous. The odds of such a thing happening were so inconceivable. If something like that did happen, and this girl was Ron and Hermione's daughter, everything added up. Hermione had left nearly twelve years ago, and if she had been pregnant at the time, the child would be of age to attend Hogwarts. Just to make sure he was remembering correctly, he read the roster once again, and sure enough it said that it was a first year class. Red hair, last name Granger, eleven years old? He had to see the girl.

* * *

When Harry arrived at the classroom seconds before class was scheduled to begin, the children were turned in their seats chatting to one another. The sound was like one large, loud mumble to the point where it was difficult to discern one voice from the next. As he made his way forward through the center aisle of the room, all attention was quickly shifted to him. Now it seemed like the hot topic of discussion was "Harry Potter," "The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice," "the slayer of You-Know-Who." Honestly, Harry found it to be quite ridiculous how they were going on about him in whispers. All that stuff happened a long time ago, nearly eleven years. 

"Good afternoon, class," Harry said, stepping in front of the podium. "Judging from your whispering, I'd wager that I really don't need an introduction. But for the sake of formality, I'm Professor Potter, here to guide you in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Professor! Is it really true that you —?"

"— faced a Hungarian Horntail during the Triwizard Tournament? Yes, as a matter of fact, I did." Sighing heavily, Harry continued, "I know that over the course of my life I've become a household name, and that's not something that I particularly enjoy. Inside these four walls I'm just your professor. I ask you to refrain from asking me anything about my history or private life. If the topic comes up at all, it will be due to the fact that I think you could learn something from one of the situations I've found myself in."

There was an obvious disappointment among the students. It seemed as if everyone was thinking the same thing: what was the point of being taught by Harry Potter if he wasn't going to tell war stories? It was certainly the major reason most of them had for coming to class.

"I suppose I should say that this is my first year teaching anything really, so my lessons might be a bit unorthodox. However, I assure you all that should you be confronted by anyone using the Dark Arts, you'll be prepared. That's a promise. I was thinking about starting with _Expelliarmus_. I'll put notes on the board today for you to study over, and then we can practice during our next lesson."

As half the period passed, a conversation in the back of the room caught Harry's attention. It had nothing to do anything related to the _Expelliarmus_ notes. As a student, Harry didn't understand why his professors would be so upset if he whispered something to Ron while they were taking notes. As a professor however, Harry was beginning to see where some of the irritation originated from. Deciding to give them a moment to quiet back down, Harry decided to tune the discussion out.

The conversation didn't die down, though. In fact, the pair of students who were talking seemed to be arguing over something, and the girl was getting progressively louder as they continued. Harry tried to remain calm, but it was grating on his nerves. Finally, he turned around to find out who was talking.

His attention was drawn to the far corner of the room where a blond boy was turned around in his seat facing a red-haired girl. The moment that his eyes fell on the girl, Harry's heart fluttered. He knew that shade of hair: a fiery ginger red. And her facial structure brought his mind back to a certain bushy-haired girl he used to know. But there were freckles, oh so many freckles dotting her fair complexion. Suddenly, his body was washed over with a burning sensation. Her scowl. That was _his_ trademark scowl. Harry had known it since first year.

"Miss Granger?"

With a guilty expression on her face, the girl shifted in her seat so she could see Harry. It was her.

That face was all Hermione. He didn't care who told him different. But the girl's features didn't belong to only one person. Red hair and too many freckles to count? Ears that turned bright pink when embarrassed? They were all signs of a Weasley heritage. Harry swallowed hard. He tried to rationalize what he was seeing, what he was thinking. There was no rationalization for it. His heart told him that he was looking at her child. No, _their_ child: Ron and Hermione's daughter.

"Would you please stop talking?" he asked, trying his best to keep a strong, professional voice.

"I'm sorry, sir," she answered, ears burning bright red.

"It's not a problem."

Harry turned back to the blackboard. The whispering certainly wasn't a problem anymore, but he feared she was going to be. He couldn't keep this from Ron. They were best mates. He had a feeling that every time he saw Ron from now on he would have to try all he could to hold back the information. There was no choice in the matter. Harry had to go to Hermione about this. He would set her straight, bring her back to the Wizarding world, bring her back to Ron.

* * *

Shortly after class let out, Harry dropped his things off at his office and rushed to speak with Professor McGonagall. Surely if anyone knew where Hermione was living, it would be her. He was certain she would be sympathetic to his cause, that she would provide him with the information. 

Yet there was a tiny part of Harry that was upset with his former Transfiguration teacher. Why did she keep something so important from him? If she knew where Hermione was, if she knew that Hermione had a daughter of Ron's, why didn't she say something?

Upon arriving at the stone gargoyle, Harry uttered the password, and the beast moved aside to reveal the spiraling staircase. Up he traveled, his mind whirling all the while until he reached the large oak door with a griffin head knocker.

"Professor McGonagall?" he called, knocking twice.

Sometimes old habits died hard. That was certainly one of them. Even though he had been included among the staff members at Hogwarts, Harry couldn't bring himself to call her by any other title than "professor." It just didn't sound right to him.

"Come in, Potter."

He smiled to himself. Maybe he wasn't the only one who was suffering from habit around the castle. Honestly, it felt good to hear her call him by his last name, much like she used to in his days as a student. To McGonagall, he wasn't "The Boy Who Lived Twice," or "Harry Potter," or even "the slayer of You-Know-Who." He was simply "Potter." And in serious moments he was "Harry." It was as simple as that.

"Professor, I was wondering if I could have a word with you?" he asked, almost timidly.

"Of course. Have a seat."

Stepping into that room brought back many memories, many of which saddened him to the point that he wished to forget them. Some feelings just didn't go way even after all of these years. To walk into the headmaster's office without seeing Dumbledore's wise eyes on the other side, it still hurt. To look over to an empty perch where a phoenix rose from the ashes before Harry's very eyes was unnatural. And yet there hung a frame on the wall with his sleeping form inside to watch over the school, to provide assistance in dire situations. He was really gone. It was still difficult at times to really wrap his mind around. Dumbledore was really gone.

"Potter?"

"Oh sorry, Professor McGonagall, I was just lost in thought."

"Ah yes, I find myself doing that quite often in this room."

Harry spent a moment taking in his surroundings. As they always had been, the Sorting Hat and Gryffindor's sword were displayed on the shelf behind the headmaster's chair. The spindle legged tables still supported all of Dumbledore's silver instruments, whose purpose still eluded Harry to that day. To the right of the headmistress's desk on a tiny table were a small silver ink pot and a beautiful scarlet quill.

"All of Professor Dumbledore's things are still in here."

The headmistress stood up from the high back chair behind her desk and moved slowly around the room.

"It doesn't seem right to take them away, Harry. These things belong here."

Harry nodded silently in agreement. He didn't want to think about Dumbledore anymore. His heart was already growing heavier and heavier by each moment he spent in the office. There was business he had to attend to, questions that needed answers, and he couldn't wait any longer.

"Say, Professor, would you mind explaining something to me?"

"I can try my best."

"There's a girl in my class with the last name Granger," he began, hoping that she would be able to piece things together.

McGonagall shook her head sadly. She placed her hand on Harry's shoulder, and by the look in her eyes, he knew he wasn't going to like the answer he was about to get.

"I'm sorry, but I can't say anything."

She turned away from him with the impression that he would leave it at that. Harry wasn't about to though. He took several steps in her direction. A look of desperation was noticeably expressed on his features.

"Please, Professor McGonagall, can I at least see her file?"

"Harry, you know can't let you see that. It's confidential information."

"Why? Why won't you let me see it? What will I find in there?"

Harry was beginning to grow very agitated. How could McGonagall rest peacefully at night knowing that she was keeping a father from his child? She should have gone to Ron as soon as she found out about Hermione's daughter. If he was in her position, he would have. To do what she was doing wasn't morally sound with him. Ron deserved the truth.

"This conversation is over, Potter."

Turning on her heel, she made her way back to the desk. Harry could hardly believe his eyes. He was so close to knowing the truth, and McGonagall was standing in his way.

"No, it's not over," he pressed on. "Hermione's her mother, isn't she? If I would look in that file, I'd find Hermione's name, wouldn't I?"

"Harry," she began, the palms of her hands hitting the desk with a slap, "If I thought it was right to tell you anything, I would. However, I'm not entirely sure this has anything to do with you, and I will not compromise the safety and happiness of one of my students. Please understand that. I'm truly sorry about this."

He was hurt beyond words. The one witch he thought he could always look to for guidance disappointed him. His anger was flaring. He was well over his boiling point. Of course Professor McGonagall was honorable for what she was doing, and Harry knew that. His judgment was clouded, but he still knew when the bitterness subsided, he wouldn't hold anything against her.

"Alright then, Professor, I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

Without waiting for a response, Harry left the room. All the way down the staircase his mind was racing. He wouldn't give up. He'd never forgive himself if he did. There had to be another way to go about contacting Hermione, if indeed she was Adele's mother, which there was no doubt in his mind that she was.

* * *

As Adele sat at her desk in Defense Against the Dark Arts, she began to think about her experience at Hogwarts so far. It was officially one week since classes began. She had survived and adapted quite well to a Wizarding way of life. In Transfiguration, the red-head successfully turned a match into a needle on her second try. While in Charms, they had begun _Wingardium Leviosa_, which proved to be no match for her by the end of the class period. All in all, Adele felt as if she could truly believe in her magic ability. It seemed as if she wouldn't struggle greatly, at least not in her first year. 

Some classes, however, were a bit on the dreadful side. Though she was generally excited about the History of Magic on the first day of class, the novelty had definitely worn off. Now Professor Binns's voice droning on and on about the witch burnings was the stuff nightmares were made of. And, all it took was one brief mention of goblins before he was off on a tangent about the goblin rebellions of the seventeenth century. How one man could find those creatures so fascinating was certainly beyond her.

Of course Potions proved to be somewhat interesting, though she thought she wouldn't have the talent for a more advanced level in the future. To her surprise though, Gawain was a natural. It seemed like he had difficulty grasping onto the fundamentals of any of their other classes; however, he was receiving praise from Professor Slughorn. The walrus-like man took an immediate liking to Gawain after his successful attempt at a sleeping draught, which everyone else in the class had considerable difficulty with.

At that very moment, she was listening to Professor Potter give his lesson on _Petrificus Totalus_, which lacked the thrill that Defense Against the Dark Arts had provided her up until that day. Just the week before, they were assigned an essay on Freezing Charms. Adele had found the subject amazing and had even gone over the required amount of parchment. She was certain she would be receiving an outstanding for all her hard work.

"That's all for today, ladies and gentleman. Remember, you have a ten inch paper on the _Lumos_ Charm that's due Thursday at the end of class. I would really like to start working with it, so please do your best research."

With that, Professor Potter took several steps toward his desk. The class understood that they were permitted to leave, and everyone began to gather their things. As Adele shoved her parchment in her bag, Gawain turned around and gave her a look. She knew that his expression meant that the class had bored him.

"It wasn't that bad, Gawain. Actually, I found the lecture to be very interesting," Akemi chimed in as she waited for her friends to finish packing.

"Not that bad? I think I'd rather sit in Binns's class for three hours while he lectured on the goblin rebellions," Gawain muttered.

"I don't know, Akemi. I didn't think it was very thrilling, either," Adele added.

"You two just don't know a good lesson when you've heard one." Akemi turned her attention to Kip, who had just walked up to them in the back of the classroom. "Did you think the lesson was boring?"

"What lesson? There was a lesson today?" he answered jokingly, which abruptly made Akemi slap him on the arm.

"Come on, I'm dying of hunger," Gawain complained. "Let's go eat."

"Miss Granger?"

Adele turned around just before she reached the door. In the front of the classroom, Professor Potter was leaning against the desk casually, his arms folded across his chest. Ever since her very first day, Adele had a disconcerting feeling about the man. At times, she would catch him looking at her for no apparent reason. It was beginning to unnerve her.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Would you remain behind, please? I would like to have a word with you in private."

She gave a nervous glance to her friends, who appeared very confused. She had no idea what this was about. What had she done wrong? Judging from the look on Potter's face, she wasn't about to get congratulated on her paper. Giving the trio a weak wave of the hand, she watched as they walked out of the room, leaving her alone with the professor.

"Have a seat," he stated, gesturing to the chair he put in front of the desk.

As she approached the chair, an overwhelming sense of dismay washed over her. The look on his face was so collected, but she couldn't help but think the worst was about to happen. When she slid onto the seat, Professor Potter seemed to be satisfied. He stood and went around the desk. Adele watched intently. From a leather bag, he pulled two pieces of parchment out before laying them on the table in front of her.

The paper on the left was most definitely hers. The letters were written neatly in her own cursive. However, the paper on the right was nothing more than a rushed scrawl and it seemed to her that it belonged to a boy.

"Miss Granger, do you know who these papers belong to?"

"The one on the left is mine. I don't know about the other one."

"The other belongs to Mr. Wood."

"Gawain? Alright, but I don't understand where you're going with this."

The professor sat down in his seat, then proceeded to rub his temples in a circular motion. It was as if he was trying to collect himself before continuing on. Folding his hands together with his elbows propped up on the desk, he looked at her for a long moment.

"You copied off of Mr. Wood's essay, didn't you?"

He must have lost his mind. She, Adele Granger, copying off of Gawain Wood's essay? It was madness, pure and simple madness. Why would she want to copy his work, especially when it wasn't that great to begin with? The thought of Professor Potter claiming that she cheated off of him was insulting.

"Oh honestly, Professor, if I were going to cheat, it wouldn't be off of Gawain," she nearly snapped. "Give me a little credit."

"We will not be discussing this any further, Miss Granger," he explained sternly.

"I didn't do it!"

"Since you refuse to admit to your actions, I will be forced to owl your parents."

"Parent," she corrected. "I only have a mother."

"What about your father?"

Adele slouched in her chair, arms folded across her chest as she managed to pout and scowl all at the same time. Why did it matter to him whether or not she had a father? It seemed like the fact that she didn't have a dad followed her around everywhere she went. It had come up in all sorts of conversations as of late. She wished people would just stop asking about her family.

She'd hardly had any time to dig around for information. After all, she was still getting adjusted to the Wizarding world. Nothing would have made her happier than to escape from her homework and look for clues. On one occasion, she thought about doing just that, but Akemi convinced her otherwise. Her best friend was right. If she slacked off on her studies, there might be a chance that she'd get thrown out of Hogwarts, and then she'd never have the chance to find her father. So until she found some free time, she was stuck.

"I don't have a father."

"I'm sorry to bring up such a sensitive subject. If you don't mind though, I'm going to need your mother's contact information, a name and address to be more specific."

"Hermione Granger, 58 Elysian Way, London," she answered, sighing heavily.

"Thank you, Miss Granger," he spoke, jotting down the address. "I'll contact you about serving your punishment in a few days. You are dismissed."

As Adele left the room, she was scared about what was going to happen. What would her mother say? She knew already that she'd be very disappointed in her, not that she should be. She didn't copy off Gawain, despite what Professor Potter thought. Her mum wouldn't know that though. And what kind of punishments did they have in Wizarding school anyway?

* * *

Stepping out of the shower, Hermione reached for a towel from a nearby shelf then proceeded to dry herself off. After finishing up, she put on a bathrobe and began brushing her hair. 

Her eyes closed. It had been one whole week since her baby girl left for school. One whole week and she had never been lonelier in her life. How was she going to endure it for the next seven years?

The house had never been emptier. Hermione wondered if that was how Mrs. Weasley had felt when all her children had left the Burrow, only seven times worse. As she walked through the house, she would spot things of Adele's and think for long moments about her. And when she was hurting the worst, she would go into her little girl's room and tidy up. It had got to the point that Hermione ran out of things to clean. Before she knew it, she was taking things out of Adele's closet to wash in order to keep busy. It was horrible to be a mother and not _be_ a mother.

Satisfied with her hair, she set out for her bedroom. On the bed lay her pajamas for the evening, a pair that her daughter had bought for her last Christmas. Her fingers grazed the soft fabric.

Hermione Granger had never felt more helpless. Everywhere she looked there were whispers of her child, yet her child was no where to be found. Having a baby was truly a blessing and a curse all wrapped into one. Her life would never be complete without Adele, but one day, Adele would leave her for good and not just months at a time. The big house seemed to grow larger by the second.

Almost in a daze, Hermione began to dress herself. However, she was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts by a cracking noise from downstairs. She shut her eyes firmly. The sound was familiar, like Apparation.

But who would be Apparating into her home? Had something happened at Hogwarts? Was Adele injured? She'd been picking up _The Daily Prophet_ for the past few days and had heard about attacks on foreign Wizarding schools, but surely Hogwarts was well protected? Surely, Adele was alright. Unable to process any more thoughts, Hermione rushed down the stairs.

"Hermione."

She stopped abruptly as her feet hit the final step. There was that smooth, pleasant voice. She would know it anywhere. Of course, it had become a bit deeper in eleven years, but it was still his. Harry Potter. Why had he come?

Why of all people would Harry show up in her living room? Now she was almost certain that something had gone wrong. There was no other way for him to know her whereabouts unless he was instructed to come here.

"Hermione," he called again from behind her.

The tone of his voice was gentle, which only added to her worry. After all these years and everything that had happened, how could he not be cross with her? The only thing she could think of was that maybe Harry had come to impart bad news. She wanted to ask him what was going on, wanted to find out if something had happened to Adele, but she couldn't move her mouth. Instead, the only thing she could do was turn around and face her best friend.

From the expression on his face, Hermione knew that everything was alright with Adele. If something had happened, Harry would look panicked and nervous. Instead, he looked both stern and happy to see her.

If Harry knew, then who else did? Was he the one who figured everything else or had he received the information from someone else. Did Ron know that he was a father? Had he sent Harry because he was so enraged with her that he couldn't bare the sight of her? She had so many questions that she needed answered.

"Harry…"

"It's been almost twelve years, hasn't it?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delayed update. I've been so overwhelmed with college, work, and club activities that it's been hard to get any writing time in. Hopefully the next update won't take as long. I'm going to be on break soon, so that's a good sign. Thanks to everyone who read this chapter, and a huge thanks to my beta, PigWithHair! 


	6. Catching Up

Chapter Six: Catching Up

* * *

Eight o'clock. Ginny forced her eyes away from the clock and took a sip of her now luke warm tea. Unable to stand sitting still any longer, she got up and began pacing about the kitchen. Where the hell was he? He was supposed to be home two hours ago. After all, they had decided to go out tonight, which, she thought bitterly, was all his idea. Harry had a lot of nerve standing her up like this. For his sake, Ginny hoped that whatever had him caught up was something more serious than a drink at the pub with her brother after work. She quite liked sharing a bed with her husband, but if she had to teach him a lesson about flooing home if he had plans after work, then she would banish him to the couch damn it.

Despite her fury, she was worried. Things had been stirring about in the Wizarding world these past several months, and she did fear that Harry was going to get caught up in another mess similar to the Second War. Harry had been through enough, and he deserved to live a normal life for once. Stopping her pacing, Ginny decided that she'd give him another half an hour and if he didn't show up by then, she'd Floo the pub and see if he was there. Not knowing what had happened to him was beginning to eat at her.

When the sound of someone Flooing in reached her ears, she nearly jumped and headed into the sitting room. However, instead of her husband returning, she found that it was only Ron.

"Oi, Ginny, sorry about dropping by without notice, but I have some papers to give to Harry."

"Harry's not home yet."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" she asked angrily.

"Nah, I haven't a clue." Ron offered her a thick folder. "Would you mind giving these to him when he gets in? Let him know that it's important too."

"No problem."

"Right then, guess I'll be seeing you," he said, starting for the fireplace.

"Wait a minute!" Ginny shouted. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I really wish I could stay and visit for a while, but I'm sort of pressed for time."

Pressed for time, was he? Her blood boiled. It seemed as if Ron didn't have any time for his family anymore. He was tied with Charlie for the Weasley who was hardly ever around. However, Charlie had an excuse; Ron didn't. And no one had said anything for quite some time. Her mother might protest every once in a while, though Ginny was nearly certain that she had given up the fight more recently. But Ginny hadn't, at least not yet.

"And what's so important that you can't visit with your sister?"

Ron's ears burned red. "I have…something to do, alright?"

"Oh really, Ron, you're going to have to give me something better than that if you want to leave this house."

"I'm going out with someone. There, you happy now?"

Ginny was dumbstruck. Going out? Ron? Surely she heard that wrong. It'd been at least two years since she knew Ron had had a girlfriend, and that ended very badly. After that break up, it seemed to her that Ron had lost interest in pursuing another relationship. Of course, it would only be natural for him to get back on the horse, so to say. He wouldn't stay single forever.

"That's…nice, Ron. I'm happy for you."

That was a lie. She wanted to be happy for Ron, but the fact of the matter was she was worried for him. The girls that he'd been with after Hermione were not very respectable ones, at least in her eyes. Maybe she had too much of her mother in her, which was a possibility, but they couldn't hold a candle to Hermione. And that was an undisputable fact.

"I know what you're thinking, Ginny, and I'd really wish you'd stop."

She crossed her arms. "And what exactly am I thinking?"

"That the only girl for me is Hermione."

She had to give him credit; he was smarter than he looked. Or maybe over the years of hearing their mother say things like he and Hermione were perfect for each other it had become ingrained into his mind. That was their mother's opinion though. Then again, she couldn't argue that most of the family felt that way.

"And what's so bad about that?"

"Come on now, Ginny. Let's be serious."

"I am serious, Ron. I thought you were in love with her."

"I am…was…I…" Ron growled in frustration. "Hermione and I are over. I loved her once, a long time ago. And ever since she left, I've been nursing a broken heart. I'm tired of it, Ginny. I feel like I've been sleepwalking through life these past twelve years." Ron began pacing then stopped in front of her. "Why are you even bringing this up? You know how much it hacks me off."

"Why are you feeling this way now? No offense, but it's not like you to just have a sudden epiphany."

"Something Nic said the other night at Mum and Dad's really put things into perspective for me." Ron's expression became one that Ginny knew to mean that he was getting angry. "I deserve to have a life! I want a family, Ginny! And I can't let…some girl from my past get in the way of that."

Ron was absolutely right. He needed to move on. However, she was not about to let him call Hermione "some girl." Hermione was far more than that to him, and to brush her off like she hadn't been wasn't fair to either of them.

"You shouldn't say something like that."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Do you even have to ask that question? I'm your sister, Ronald. Of course I sympathize with your situation. She should have never left you like she did. Hermione should have told you why she was leaving. I know Hermione, though. She was a very good friend, and she wouldn't have left you without a reason."

"We were happy!" Ron shouted, running his hands through his hair. "I didn't give her a reason to leave!"

"Alright then," Ginny said bitterly, crossing her arms. "She was being a selfish bitch."

Ron looked absolutely seething. "Do _not_ call her that."

"I was trying to be reasonable, but you wouldn't have it. So why not? It's what you wanted to hear, wasn't it?"

Ginny didn't think that Hermione was entirely blameless in the situation. In fact, she'd say that most of what happened was Hermione's fault. She should have never put Ron through what she had. And for that, Ginny could not entirely forgive her. But Ron also had a tendency to sully things up without being aware of it. There had to be some miscommunication somewhere.

"I'm tired of talking about Hermione," he said defeated.

"I want to see you happy, Ron. If that means moving on, then so be it. But don't push Hermione out of your memories, alright? You two had a lot of good times together."

"I wish we could have had more."

"So do I," Ginny said, before hugging him tightly. "Listen, do you think maybe you should try to find her? Not to get back together or anything, but just to ease your mind?"

"Nope, I told you I'm done," he replied with a stubborn tone. "I'm going to start seeing a great girl. You'll really like her."

Would she now? Hadn't Ron said that about the other women that he dated in the past? Like a fool, she bought into it every time, too. Not this time though. She was going to prepare herself for meeting a "scarlet woman," as her mother might say.

"Do me a favor. Make sure she's an improvement on your last girlfriend."

"She is. I promise."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to hold you to your word."

"If I don't get out of here soon, I'm not going to have to worry about whether you'll like her or not."

"Go then. But you should stop by sometime for tea, alright?"

"Sure. And make sure you give those to Harry!"

"I will," she said, waiving to him.

"Bye, Ginny. Take care."

As Ron left, Ginny hoped that he was making the right decision. The last thing she wanted was for Ron to get hurt again. When the day came that he found someone he wanted to settle down with, she'd support him, as long as the woman in question was decent enough.

She had to admit that even now it was still hard seeing Ron with someone other than Hermione. For so long she'd thought that they were going to end up together. She was wrong, though.

Hermione's disappearance ate at her for a very long time. Why in the hell would she do something so cruel to Ron? Was Hermione someone other than who Ginny had thought she was? Had she got it all wrong all those years they were friends at Hogwarts? What could have possibly made her leave? She had so many questions, and Ginny knew that Ron did too. As she thought about the situation, one other question drifted back into her mind. Where the hell was her husband?

* * *

She hugged him. It was a mystery to her how she'd found herself in his arms, but she didn't dwell on it. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized that she was one step closer to the Wizarding world, one step closer to home.

"I'm so sorry, Harry."

There were a lot of people who she owed an apology, and Harry was just the beginning of that very long list. She knew a long time ago that she should have said something to Ron. There was not a doubt in her mind that Harry and Ron had spent a long time searching for her, at least in the beginning, and to take them away from their normal lives, especially when the three of them had just got that back, well it certainly weighed heavily on her mind. With that thought, her tears went from trickling to flowing freely.

"You have no idea how cross I am with you right now," he said, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"I know, I know."

Harry pulled away. "That being said, you have no idea how happy I am to see you again, Hermione."

"I think I might have an idea."

"Of all the things that could have possibly driven you from the Wizarding world, I never thought it would be a child. But it was, wasn't it?"

The only thing she was able to do was nod. Hermione was ashamed to admit it. She now realized just how foolish it had been to run away when she was so frightened. Maybe that's something that Harry didn't understand. He'd played an important part in her and Ron's lives, but he didn't know the details. And she'd wager that Ron hadn't explained what had happened between them.

"Your daughter is Ron's, isn't she?" he asked in a way that told her he already knew the truth.

"Of course she is, Harry," Hermione answered between sobs.

"I didn't mean to imply anything…I just wanted to make sure. The last thing we need now is any more secrets."

"How did you find Adele?"

"I'm working at Hogwarts as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. It's just a temporary position for the sake of security. I have her in class, and I managed to get the information I needed out of her." Harry sighed. "Enough of this, though. You need to tell Ron the truth."

"I'm going to." Hermione looked away from Harry. "I've wanted to for so long, Harry, but I didn't know how. Everything was so complicated. And then he started seeing Eva…"

"Whoa, back up? Hermione, what the hell are you talking about? Ron and Eva?"

It was a painful moment for her to remember, and she struggled to find the words to explain the situation to Harry. The details were still unclear, but all she knew was that Ron and Eva had had something going on. She'd seen it with her own eyes.

"I went to visit Ron at his office a few nights before I left. Up until then, I'd tried to tell him a couple times about the baby, but something always came up. Usually Eva needed him, and what other choice did he really have but to go to her? She was his trainer, after all. So I decided that I'd try one last time, and when I went inside, I found him in her arms. What more is there to say really? I think that speaks volumes."

"That's it?" he asked surprised. "He wasn't kissing her or anything?"

"No! I'm thankful I left before it got that far."

"Hermione… did the thought ever cross your mind that maybe it was a completely innocent hug?"

"This is Eva, we're talking about!"

"Yeah, but we're also talking about Ron. You know, the one head over heels for you? Even if she'd come onto him, I highly doubt that Ron would have gone for it."

"Maybe you're right, but I can't just ignore what I saw. He'd been avoiding me, and then that happened."

"I think you need to talk things over with him, figure out what went wrong between you two and where."

She knew that with Adele returning to the Wizarding world she would more than likely have to face Ron again. There would be a lot of explaining for her to do, no doubt, but she had no idea where to begin or what to say. After all these years, she hoped she would know what to say, but she was still unprepared. And judging by the scowl on Harry's face, she didn't have much time to come up with something.

"You have to tell him about Adele. He has every right to know that he has a daughter. I'm sorry, Hermione, but if you don't tell him, I will."

"I know…I know…"

"I won't give you another eleven years, Hermione."

"I'm not expecting you to. Just a little while, that's all I ask."

After that, the conversation seemed to die. They both knew that the situation was a delicate one, and as it was, they'd already stepped on a few toes. This reunion wasn't about fighting; it was supposed to be about the truth. Something needed to be said that was a bit lighter hearted.

"So Adele is in your class? How is she doing?" she asked.

"Quite well. She certainly has your intelligence. Her essay on Freezing Charms was very good, probably the best in the class. Though I have noticed that she likes talking in class."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Harry. The next time I see her I'll be sure to give her a lecture about that."

Harry chuckled. "I think she's learned her lesson. Don't be too harsh on her."

It was nice to hear that Adele was adjusting well to school. She hoped that Harry was being honest rather than stretching the truth to save her daughter from trouble. There were plenty more questions Hermione had about Adele, but one far larger and on a different subject matter was bothering her.

"How is Ron?"

"Ron is…Ron. He hasn't been around very often lately. It's to the point that he's become a workaholic. Ginny thinks it's because it keeps his mind from wandering."

Hermione felt that there was something implied in that last sentence. Was he still thinking of her? The fact that he wasn't around the Weasleys' as often as he should be struck her as odd as well. He loved his family; if he wasn't visiting, then surely something was wrong. She'd always thought that everything was fine with Ron, that he'd moved on and had a happy life. Now, she was beginning to wonder.

"…is there anyone…you know…"

"No, there isn't. The last time he brought a girl home was a couple years ago. Mrs. Weasley was up in arms over it. She had every right to be, I think. The girl just came out of no where. Ron didn't mention anything about her before, and then she proceeded to get a little friendly with Ron around Molly, which I'm sure I don't have to tell you that that didn't go over well. Needless to say, Ron didn't bring that girl around again, or any others for that matter."

Her heart sank. Poor Ron. After everything that she'd done to him, Hermione knew that she shouldn't feel relieved that Ron was single. But it also upset her to know that Ron didn't have anyone in that way. He deserved someone; he was a great guy after all. And even if she couldn't have him back, she wanted to see him happy.

"But," Harry began, a certain liveliness back in his voice. "I'm sure that Ron will be back to his old self after he finds out about Adele. Everything will work itself out."

"I hope you're right, Harry."

"With you back in the picture, things will be like they used to. And Adele will get to have her first Weasley Christmas this year. It'll be good to have you both there."

"Molly will never forgive me for what I've done, even if Ron does."

"She'll forgive you. It's not in Molly's nature to hate. The most important thing to her is family, which means you."

"How do you think Ron will take the news?"

"He'll be crushed, but he loves you. That hasn't changed in twelve years, and I don't think that this will do it."

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for everything," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble."

"It's not a problem." Harry paused in thought. "And Hermione, even though it was under undesirable circumstances, I'm glad to see you again. It's good to have you back."

"It's nice to be back."

He looked at his watch. "I really need to be going now. Ginny's going to be furious with me as it is."

As she watched Harry step back to Disapparate, Hermione wanted to reach out to him. She didn't want him to leave; she feared that if he did, she'd wake up from some sort of dream.

"Wait, Harry! There's one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Look out for Adele, will you?"

"Of course. I'll keep her out of trouble as best I can."

"Goodnight, Harry."

"I'll stop over one day after work to check up on you," he said.

"I'll be looking forward to it," she replied before he Disapparated.

The moment he left, Hermione felt a wave of loneliness creep up on her. Now it was just her and her thoughts. What was she going to do? How was she going to go about telling Ron that he had a child? More importantly, what was going to become of the three of them?

* * *

When she heard the sound of the door opening, Adele quickly grabbed the draperies around her bed and closed them so no one could see her. If they did, they'd ask her what's wrong, and she really didn't want to get into it.

"Hey, Adele? Are you in there?" Akemi asked, standing near Adele's bed. "I have something cool to show you."

"Yeah, but I think I caught a cold. Better not get too close."

She knew that it was a pitiful excuse. Not to mention the fact that despite her effort to hide it, it was obvious that she was crying.

"Are you okay?" Akemi opened the drapes. "What happened? You look like you've been crying all afternoon."

When Akemi gave her a hug, Adele's tears started flowing again, despite the fact that she felt a little better. How could something like this be happening to her? She didn't cheat; she knew she didn't. So why was she getting blamed for it? Gawain hadn't been anywhere near her when she was writing that paper.

"Professor Potter said that I cheated off of Gawain, and now I'm going to be in so much trouble," she cried.

"It'll be okay, Adele. I know you didn't cheat, so all we have to do is prove it to Professor Potter. I'm sure once he realizes he's wrong he'll apologize."

"But how are we going to prove something like that? And what if he goes to Professor McGonagall? I could get in serious trouble, or even kicked out. And if I get expelled, then I'll never be able to find my father!"

This was it, her only chance. If something happened that caused her to be forced to leave the Wizarding world, she wouldn't find the answers that she so desperately needed. If Professor Potter reported her, all was lost.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks to my beta, PigWithHair! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Please review! 


	7. The Revelation

Chapter 7: The Revelation

* * *

Harry rolled over, half asleep, and reached out to wrap his arm around Ginny's waist. However, he found that there wasn't any Ginny to cuddle with, apparently not for some time now, as her side of the bed was quite cool. He groaned, flipped onto his back and brought his palm to his face. Of course. How could he have forgotten?

After he had had his conversation last night with Hermione, he rushed home to find his wife, clad in her bath robe, putting the leftovers from dinner away. She didn't say a word to him about his whereabouts or even how his day was; she was just cold. And he knew she'd be hacked off at him for not contacting her, but it wasn't as if he could just explain the situation. She had every right to be angry too; however, he hated this passive aggressive anger she'd pulled on him as of late. He'd much rather her just yell at him, show him that colorful Weasley temper of hers and be done with it. He'd apologize; they'd make up and go about happily being Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

When Harry smelled breakfast cooking, he talked himself into getting out of bed. Ginny was obviously still upset with him, which he couldn't take anymore. He would go downstairs and confront her about last night. As to what he would tell her exactly, he hadn't a clue. He'd figure out something to smooth things over though.

Harry stepped into the kitchen with a smile on his face. Maybe if she knew that he didn't hold anything against her for her mood last night, he could crack a little of the ice. He went to the cabinet, grabbed a glass, and fetched the pitcher of orange juice. He took a drink, one long enough to try to figure out just how Ginny might react to him. Without coming up with much, he decided to just go for it.

"Morning, love," he said brightly, moving in to give her a hug.

Ginny swatted away his hands. "Can't you see that I'm busy with breakfast, Harry?"

"Ah, right then."

Bad idea. He took a couple steps back from her. She might have cooled off a bit from the night before, but she certainly wasn't ready for hugs and kisses.

"Listen, Ginny, I'm real sorry about last night. I should have told you where I was going. Can—? "

"You should be sorry. I worry about you, you know," she shouted, one hand on her hip and the other waving about the spatula. "You were once targeted by every dark wizard in England, if not the world. Don't think I haven't forgotten about that. The Second War may have ended a decade ago, but you're still Harry Potter."

So that's how she felt? They'd fought about him not telling her where he was before, and every time she'd get upset about it, but he never realized the real reason behind all her rage and worry. And they called Ron clueless.

"It won't happen again. I promise," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I was at the pub with Ron. That's it."

Harry felt her tense against him. She looked up, her eyes searching his frantically. Now he feared he'd gone and done it again. What had her looking like that? Had he said something wrong? He knew she sometimes got upset when he would be away from home because he had plans with Ron. And she reminded him on several occasions that Ron could do as he pleased because he didn't have a family but that he needed to keep in mind that he did, so it wasn't fair to her that he be away all the time.

"The pub with Ron?"

"Yeah, but listen, we'll reschedule our dinner reservations. Maybe even take a nice weekend trip somewhere?"

She directed his face so he was looking at her directly in the eyes. "The pub with Ron?"

"That's what I said," he explained, mildly irritated.

Ginny gently pushed him away, as if in a daze, and returned to her cooking. Harry was nothing short of flabbergasted. What had just happened? Why was she looking like a beaten puppy? He expected her temper to flare, not this.

Realizing that he needed to have a better plan than simply winging it, he sat down at his usual seat at the table. Why were women so damn complicated? He thought that things would go much easier if they came with instruction manuals.

As Harry went to pick up his glass of juice, something caught his eye. There was a thick folder lying next to his plate, not his usual morning reading material to say the least. He opened it up, saw that it was Auror business, and shut it. Where had this come from?

"Ginny, where did you get this?"

"Ron dropped it off. Said it was important," she replied, her tone cold.

"Why didn't you wake me? If it was important, I should have looked it over right away."

Ginny turned to him. "Because he brought it over last night."

And with that, Harry knew just what had upset her. She'd caught him in his lie, and now things were far worse than they would have been if he'd only told the truth.

* * *

Particularly heavyhearted, Adele stepped into the corridor from the owlery. She was very much looking forward to growing up, because then she wouldn't have to owl a letter home to her mother about any misbehaving she had done. Although it wasn't as if she had really done something wrong; it was only Professor Potter who seemed to think so, despite her protests otherwise. Regardless, her mother would be receiving a letter from her professor about her "copying," and if Adele hadn't tried to cut it off at the pass, she could count herself staying in until she was thirty, after she factored in the Diagon Alley incident.

Biting her lip, she picked up her pace. None of this was fair. First her mother was keeping secrets from her and now Professor Potter's accusations. Why did she have to pay the price for everyone else muddling up her life, making it much more difficult to find what she had every right to know? She deserved a break. No, she deserved—

As Adele was rounding the corner in quite the rage, she hadn't bothered watching where she was going and ran straight into someone, causing her to take a few awkward steps backwards to regain her footing. This wronged party, however, had found himself on the floor. Quickly she fell to her knees to pick up the boy's books while he stood up.

"I'm very sorry," she said, standing up. "You're not hurt, are …Gawain?"

Gawain brushed off his robes, looking a fine mix of bitter and relieved. He took the books she was holding.

"I'm fine. The books probably got it worse than me."

"My fault. I wasn't looking."

"Yeah, your fault, but it doesn't matter. I was hoping to run into you. Not literally, but…suppose I'll take what I can get." He looked suddenly concerned. "Where were you at breakfast, Adele? Akemi was about to call a full scale search of the castle to find you."

"I wasn't feeling very hungry, so I went to the owlery to mail my mum a letter."

"To tell her about the incident with Professor Potter? Akemi told me all about it at breakfast."

"Well I told her a lot of other stuff, good stuff, to try to make her happy before I had to tell her that. Thought it may ease my sentencing a bit."

Gawain laughed. "Is your mum really mean or something?"

Adele shot him a look. "You have no idea who you're dealing with. Mum was perfect in school. Granddad and Grandmum have shown me all the awards that she won when she was in primary school. I'm almost certain that she got every single one of them. In fact, I bet they probably had to make some up just for her because she was so incredibly clever. If she thinks that I've cheated even the tiniest bit, she's going to be cross with me forever."

"Do you want me to talk to Professor Potter? I'll tell him that we weren't even in the same room when we wrote the paper and that you probably had yours done way in advance."

"Thanks, Gawain. It's nice to know that you'll stick up for me, but I don't think it'll help. If anything, it'll probably get you in trouble too or something. I think it's best if I just go to see him myself today."

"Alright, your funeral."

"You make me feel loads better," she replied, her words laced with sarcasm.

"I have some good news for you." He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"What's that? I could use some right about now."

"It's quarter til ten. Time for History of Magic."

Adele groaned, and both she and Gawain headed towards their classroom with the most unenthused expressions imaginable on their face.

* * *

Having just got home, Hermione unlocked the door; she was greeted by a small stack of envelopes on the floor in front of her. She picked them up, tossed her bag onto a table in the front hall, slipped off her shoes and headed for the kitchen. Instead of going through the mail immediately, she went to the refrigerator for a salad that she had made that morning for her after work snack and then sat at the kitchen table.

She looked through the new catalog from one of her favorite stores and was about to open the electric bill when she saw a letter with no stamp on it. Adele. Quicker than a child on Christmas morning, she tore open the envelope and spread out the letter.

_Dear Mum,_

_How are you? I miss you very much! I know that I haven't sent a lot of letters, but I've been super busy studying for all my classes so I can get really good marks and make you proud. I've been doing well and have been taking the vitamins you sent me in your package every day just like you asked because I'm a good girl._

_Professor Flitwick says I'm a natural at Charms. It only took me a couple tries to be able to do the Levitation Charm. Oh, and I'm also very good at Transfiguration: the best in the class, really. The rest are all going well too, though I'm not great at Potions._

_But there is this one professor here, Professor Potter, who doesn't like me one bit, Mum. He's so mean! I guess he's supposed to be this really famous wizard. Everybody makes a big deal about him. I don't know, maybe you heard about him when you went to Hogwarts. I think that he just uses his popularity to get him things and thinks that, because he's so famous, he can just be mean to whoever he wants. For some reason he's picked me to be mean to. The other day I turned in this really good paper on Freezing Charms that I had spent all afternoon writing, and yesterday he called me up to his desk after class and said that I cheated! Can you believe that? So if you get some letter saying that I've cheated in class, just ignore it. He's completely off his rocker._

Hermione stopped reading her daughter's letter and thought about what she'd said. Harry had accused her of cheating? Why would he do something like that? She knew Adele well enough to know that she wouldn't do something like that.

And not only did she have to take into consideration her daughter's previous academic history but also the current situation. If Harry had Adele in class and saw her last name, of course he would be suspicious. He was an Auror too, which meant he knew how to get information. He had used Adele to find her. Everything seemed to make perfect sense.

Hermione's heart dropped. It seemed that even when she had opened up about her life in the Wizarding World to Adele, she was still hurting her. Adele would never admit it, but she was a very sensitive girl. The fact that she had been wrongly accused must have made her distraught. As much as Hermione would like to have a word with Harry about his means of locating her, she had no one to blame but herself. If she had only been honest from the very beginning, none of this would have happened.

Just when she thought that everything would get better, she learned, once again, that she was incredibly foolish. Adele wouldn't stop getting hurt until the whole truth was out, until Ron knew about his daughter. She had to let go of the part of her that wanted Ron to find out accidently, without any confrontation on her part, for Adele's sake.

She had told Harry that she needed more time to think about how to tell Ron, how to find the right words to ease this massive blow. But there was no proper way, no gentle way of saying what needed to be said. There was only the basic truth of the matter. She had left without a note, knowing that she was carrying their child, regardless of how he felt on the matter. He had sent confusing signals, yes, but the fault was hers alone to bear.

She couldn't wait any longer. She'd been trying to put off the evitable for twelve years. And she may not know how to face him still, but the longer she waited, the deeper the wounds that she had inflicted on her daughter and on the love of her life would grow. She needed to contact Harry as soon as possible.

But first, before all that, she had to set things right with Adele. She couldn't reveal the identity of her father just yet; she wanted Ron to be there for that, but she needed to ease Adele's mind about Harry. He was her uncle, someone that she should turn to if she ever needed help. Until Hermione sat down to tell her everything, Adele should know that Harry was not mean, and that he is someone that she wants her to get to know.

Taking out a piece of paper and pen from a nearby drawer, she returned to the table and began penning Adele a letter.

_Dearest Adele,_

_I'm sorry to hear about the situation with Professor Potter. I know you wouldn't do anything of the sort, so please don't fret over the thought of me being upset with you._

_About Mr. Potter, I want you to know that he's someone you can trust entirely. I do, with my life. You see, we're old acquaintances of sorts. I can't say much more than this. There'll be a better time for it. Soon, I promise. So please don't think unkindly of him. He has the best of intentions and is a really wonderful man._

_I don't have much time to write more. There are some things that I need to tend to, but I'll write you soon._

_Hugs & Kisses,_

_Mum_

_

* * *

  
_

For Adele, the day couldn't have gone by more quickly. In fact, she had been sitting in Professor Binns's class just hoping that somehow he would go off on a tangent about the Goblin rebellions just to make time pass slower and even entertained the idea of asking him a question about them outright but kept her mouth shut for fear of retaliation from her classmates.

Regardless of what she did, five o'clock rolled around as promptly as ever and she didn't have to fret over the impending doom that was her meeting with Professor Potter. It was time. She stood in front of the door to his office and tried to muster some courage. However, it seemed she was fresh out. She raised her shaky hand to knock on his door, but stopped suddenly when she heard a commotion from the end of the corridor. Professor Potter's door swung open quickly, and he nearly tripped over Adele.

"Ade…Miss Granger, please step into my office. I'll be there as soon as I clear up whatever is going on down there." He headed off towards the shouts.

Adele did as she was instructed and went inside the office. She felt awkward just sitting down in the chair and waiting. If nothing else, staying in one position wouldn't help her nerves any. Instead, she thought she'd just meander around the room until the professor's return.

A particular set of pictures located not far from Professor Potter's desk caught Adele's eye. She'd been terribly fascinated by the fact that photos in the Wizarding World moved. And despite having been introduced to them for a short while now, she still couldn't shake her amazement at these in particular. It was the first time she'd ever seen someone's personal wizard photos.

One of the pictures caught her eye. In it, a young man with untidy black hair had his arm around a young red headed woman. The man looked a lot like Professor Potter, but he was missing the infamous scar on his forehead. Adele couldn't have gone through a week's worth of Defense Against the Dark Arts without committing the fact that he had a scar to memory. Everyone would talk about it.

So if the photo wasn't of him, then these two people must have been his parents. His mother drew Adele's special attention. She was a beautiful woman with kind eyes. And that hair! Adele touched her own fiery locks and examined the red hair in the photo. Her hair wasn't as soft to be sure and a tad on the bushy side, but the color wasn't dissimilar. If only, she thought, she could get her hair to look that pretty one day.

Adele was pulled from her thoughts as Professor Potter returned from breaking up what was probably a fight. She tried to look as if she hadn't been examining his personal things, especially that photo. She had heard that his parents had died when he was young and, not knowing the details, she didn't want to cause her professor any discomfort. After all, she knew better than anyone what it was like to be questioned about a parent that she'd never known. As much as she really didn't care for the professor, she wouldn't stoop that low.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Ah, there were her nerves just as she thought they'd gone away. She awkwardly took a seat in front of his desk and prepared herself for whatever he'd planned for her. As long as it wasn't expulsion, she'd gladly take anything.

"Now," he began, sitting behind his desk. "I suppose we need to discuss this whole copying incident."

"Sir, I didn't do it. I promise."

"I know."

She leaned in closer to the desk as if she hadn't heard him correctly. He knew? But how? And why was she here in that case?

"You know?"

"Miss Granger, I'm rather embarrassed to say that I've wrongly accused you. I don't have any excuse for my actions, but I did a few spells on your paper that ended up proving your innocence. Can you possibly forgive me?"

He seemed sincere enough. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind for ever accusing her in the first place and causing her a whole lot of grief. But everyone made mistakes, like her mother always preached.

"I'll forgive you if you do me a favor."

"Blackmail is it?" he asked with a smile, which seemed to her rather out of place, given the proposition.

"No, sir not really. It's just, I've already owled my mum about the incident, and you'd save me an earful if you could send her a letter saying that it was a misunderstanding."

"Of course," he said, almost paternally.

She looked at him suspiciously. "So I'm not going to be expelled then?"

"No, no. Nothing of the sort."

"Then may I leave?"

"At your leisure."

Quite frankly, she'd been in that room far too long for her liking, even if things did go in her favor. And while Professor Potter had come off rather cold and to the point in the past, Adele sensed that he was trying to make himself a little more approachable.

Just before she was about to walk out of the door, Adele thought of something else. She hadn't had much of an opportunity to search for information about her father, but there was one thing she knew that still puzzled her, and she'd nearly forgotten about it in the hustle and bustle of beginning school. She turned to her professor and thought that now was about as good of time as any, while he was feeling guilty.

"Professor, can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"What's an Auror?"

He seemed mildly surprised at her question, but quickly recovered. "They're wizards and witches who battle the dark arts."

"And are there a lot of them?"

"Yeah, a good number, I'd say. I don't really know what the count is off the top of my head."

"Do you know any, sir?"

Professor Potter laughed. "Yeah, on a rather personal basis I'd say. I'm an Auror."

"Oh."

It was all she could think to say. She was expecting him to tell her that he'd known some in the past or went to school with a few but never that he actually was one. She had an urge to ask if he knew her father. Why would he, though? She couldn't give him any more details than her mother's name and that her father was an Auror. And if he had known her mother, he certainly would have said something when she'd told him her mother's name. She would need to come to him with more specific things than that. Adele felt a surge of energy. She was one step closer to finding him.

That evening while at the library researching for Binns' essay, she thought she might do a little personal research too.

* * *

"Oh, Ron, look at you. You haven't been eating properly."

And so it began. Every time he'd shown his face around the Burrow these past few months, his mother would fuss over him like he was a new baby, examining his every inch. He was too thin and his hair—too long, but perhaps he'd like her to cut it for him? Her coddling would continue until someone, usually his father, interjected on his behalf.

"Here, dear, just sit right down at the table, and I'll whip you up some dinner." She led him to the table and nearly forced him into a chair.

"Mum, really its fine. I'm not hungry."

It was too late though. She hadn't heard him. She had gone into mothering mode, and there was no chance that he'd get out of the house without eating a huge meal made just for him. Perhaps if he was lucky, his father would help him out.

"I'm worried about your sister," she said, bewitching the potato peeler to begin peeling a hefty pile of potatoes.

"Something wrong with Ginny? I just saw her last night. She seemed fine to me."

"Of course she doesn't act any differently, but I know. Mother's intuition." She turned to face Ron. "She needs children, Ron. Life's not complete without them. I know she had the nursing position at St. Mungo's, but that's only bound to keep her content for so long. And I told her when she first started there, mind you, that it wouldn't be enough. She was raised in a big family. She needs little ones of her own to care for."

Ron had been waiting for this for years. His mother had plenty of grandchildren to keep her happy, but there would always be room for more. The house was empty, and she needed something to nurture, so he was never surprised to see his niece or one of his nephews at the Burrow every time he was over.

The conversation would be looming over everyone's heads right after one of them got married. With Bill and Fleur, his mother hadn't been subtle in the least. When were they going to have children? But as grandchildren started coming along, she would manage to hold off a little while longer and find a more gentle way of asking the inevitable question. Ginny and Harry had held off the longest, but apparently their time was now up.

"She'll have one when she's ready, Mum. No rush."

"Nonsense. Say you'll talk to Harry."

Ron nearly went bug-eyed. "About what?"

"You know what."

"I can't just—"

He would have tried to weasel his way out of this sudden demand from his mother, however, his sister had chosen to walk in at that very moment, much to his relief. He was certain that his mother wouldn't say anything in front of Ginny or at least not just yet. She'd wait for a more opportune time, perhaps when she'd manage to corner both Ginny and Harry.

"Ginny!" Molly exclaimed, rushing to hug her youngest.

"'Ello, Mum. Good to see you."

"You're just in time, dear," she said, taking Ginny's bag from her and leading her towards the kitchen table much like she had with Ron. "Ron's stopped over and I'm making him dinner."

"I've already eaten dinner."

Again, it was too late. Molly heard nothing and bewitched the peeler to peel even more potatoes than necessary. Ron and Ginny exchanged a look, one that served as a greeting and as a means to say that their mother was in one of her nurturing moods. They'd be lucky to get out of the house before midnight.

"How are things with you and Harry, love?"

Ginny shifted uncomfortably. "Good, I suppose."

Their mother looked paralyzed with fear. "Good, you suppose? Oh, Ginny, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

"Ron had a date last night!"

Ron looked at her, his face awash in absolute horror. How could she do something like that to him? She didn't want to talk about her situation with Harry, whatever that might have been, so she turns their mother on him? That was a low blow. Slyly, he stepped hard on her foot under the table, and she glared at him. He was thankful that her wand was not at arms length or he'd have been Bat-bogey hexed into the next century.

"Ronald? A date? You didn't tell me you had a date."

"It wasn't a big deal, Mum. Just a first date."

"Well, what's she like?"

"Yes, Ronald," Ginny said victoriously. "Tell us what she's like."

He glared at his sister. "Her name is Marcy. I met her at work. She's in the Department of Magical Transportation. Really sweet girl."

"And?" his mother prodded.

"What?"

"How did your date go?" Ginny asked, no doubt interpreting their mother's question.

Ron sighed. His mother was going to be the death of him, and Ginny sure wasn't helping matters. What did it matter how his first date went? He felt that when he decided to bring her around it would be their business to know a little more about her. Until then it shouldn't be an issue. However, it _was_ apparently an issue for their mother, at least. He figured that Ginny was just feigning interest to distract their mother from her own issue with Harry.

"She's a great girl. We went out to a local pub for a bite to eat. Wanted it to be a fun atmosphere, you know? Could have talked to her all night, but she had to leave around ten. Needed to get back to her little boy. He's got a nasty cold, I guess…"

The sound of something hit the floor, and when he looked up at his mother, he could see her face frozen in shock. Ginny jumped up and eased her mother into the chair opposite of Ron.

"What's wrong with Mum?" he asked, concerned.

Ginny was about to answer, but Molly reclaimed herself. "Her little boy? She's a divorcee, Ronald?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

"She had him out of wedlock?"

Sometimes Ron forgot was a traditionalist his mother was. He hadn't even thought it would be an issue with his family, and in all likelihood, it wouldn't be once they got to know her. His mother was just afraid of him falling for a 'scarlet woman.' She had the best intentions, and part of him realized that it probably sounded as if she could have been some floozy, but his mother had to believe him.

"Mum, this isn't the Dark Age, you know? Young people make mistakes."

"None of my children ever made these so called mistakes."

"Well not every kid has such a loving family to guide them either."

That softened her, he was sure. Not that he was being insincere. He loved his family and the childhood his parents gave him. He wouldn't have traded it for anything.

"Yes, well, I suppose that's true. But you're sure about this one? She's not another Samantha?"

"It was Sarah, Mum. And, no, she's not. I promise."

"You'll bring her over soon?"

"We'll see."

"Ronald."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'll bring her over soon."

* * *

Adele sat, looking rather unenthused, with various open books and old Daily Prophets in front of her. Professor Binns had assigned a ten-inch parchment on Wizarding games and tournaments earlier that day, and she thought that it would be better to get at least all the notes for her parchment ahead of time. It would make the writing a little less painful.

For Adele, the essay wouldn't be that bad. She had randomly drawn the Tri-wizard Tournament for her topic, which was one of the most desirable choices. And while any of her fellow classmates would have been overjoyed at drawing Quidditch, it was the one person who wasn't fond of the sport that got it: Gawain. Judging from his reaction, he might as well have been stuck with the history of Gobstones.

Having recently finished a chapter dedicated solely to the Tri-wizard Tournament of 1792 and the great Cockatrice fiasco, she shut that book with a great thud and looked unimpressed at the material she had left to cover. One of the draw backs at having an impressive tournament to cover was an impressive amount of things to read.

Next to her was a stack of newspapers that Madame Pince had directed her to, with the warning that if she crinkled the pages just a little bit, she'd find herself with some nasty paper cuts that seeped bubotuber puss. The older Ravenclaws had warned the first years of Madame Pince's possessiveness towards the books and all around bad attitude.

Carefully, she took the first one from the stack. Where she thought should have been a good deal of headlines and text, she found an exceptionally large photo of a young man, probably a few years older than her. He seemed very familiar to her, but it wasn't until she read the headline beneath the photo that she knew who the man was: Professor Potter had competed in the Tri-wizard Tournament almost fifteen years ago.

Adele began to drink in the words. Professor Potter's life story was laid out right before her, including that he had sometimes cried himself to sleep so many years after his parent's death. No wonder all her classmates were interested in him! Now she wanted to hear the tale too, preferably from him.

But further on in her reading, she let out a small gasp. She read those two sentences over and over again, as if she couldn't properly understand what all those funny words meant when they were together.

_Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school_.

Her mother and Professor Potter? It seemed so strange. He was so famous, and her mum was just…well, her mum. But they were in love? It was hard for her to wrap her mind around it. Professor Potter? Was that even possible?

She considered the math for a minute. The Tri-wizard Tournament had taken place only four years before she was born. And if they had started dating during that time, then it wasn't mad to think that they'd stayed together for some time. School sweethearts? It could be.

But there were a few other things that she knew about her father. Mr. Ollivander seemed to know without a doubt who her father was. From the way he'd made it sound, it was as if the match was only logical. If Professor Potter was famous, then maybe it was common knowledge that he and her mother were dating, possibly for some time.

And he had said that her father was an Auror. Now she was in a panic. She was so close to getting her answer with so little effort. It made her tummy ache. She had dreamt of this moment since she'd received her letter, had imagined it to be the most amazing moment in her life, but she felt almost sick.

However, the one thing, the most important and obvious thing, was missing. She touched her hair. Professor Potter didn't have red hair or freckles. Adele became disappointed where she had once been shocked. She had been close to getting it right. But while she may not have found her father, surely her search would be a lot easier with her mother being a friend to the most famous wizard in the Wizarding world.

Deciding it might be best to turn in for the night, Adele began to stack up the books. She grabbed the stack of papers to place them on top when her eyes fell on the opening line to the first Tri-wizard Tournament article.

_Harry Potter, the son of James and Lily Potter, was…_

Adele couldn't continue. James and Lily Potter. Lily Potter. The woman with that lovely red hair in the photo. Red hair. Adele brought her hands up to her own hair as if in a trance, letting the stack of papers fall to the ground.

At that moment only one thing was on her mind. She had found him. Her father was Harry Potter.

* * *

**A/N:** I know, it's been forever since I've updated this fic! I'm going to try to wrap it up in the next few chapters. I appreciate all of you who've followed this story from it's beginning. If you want general updates and statuses for the next chapters, follow my LJ (link available on my author page). Please feel free to friend me.


	8. Tangled Webs We Weave

**Chapter 8: Tangled Webs We Weave**

* * *

Having finished up a rather late breakfast, Adele hurried back to the common room. She hadn't slept well the night before, the only thing on her mind being her father. And early in the morning when she was no sooner asleep, she was awoken by Akemi, who explained that she'd over slept and better get to breakfast before it stopped being served. She didn't have much of an appetite but managed to down a couple pieces of toast and jam.

As she walked in, she saw her friends sitting around a sofa: Akemi with quill and parchment in hand, while Gawain and Kip were passing back and forth some sort of cards. She didn't feel like talking to them, but if she said nothing and tried to sneak back up to her room she would surely be questioned if caught.

"Did you manage to get a muffin, Adele? The blueberry ones were great. Could've eaten ten of them," Gawain said.

"You nearly did," Akemi added, briefly pausing her writing.

"There weren't many left, but that's okay. I really don't like blueberry too much." She looked at the scattered cards and growing mound of wrappers. "What are you doing?"

"They're eating Chocolate Frogs," Akemi explained.

"My mum would have your head for eating sweets in the morning," Adele said.

"We're not eating them for the chocolate. We're eating them for the cards," Kip said, waving a Dumbledore in the air. "Gawain wants my Ron Weasley. Fat chance of that happening."

"Can I see?" she asked, but grabbed Gawain's stack without waiting for an answer.

"Hey! Don't bend them!" he demanded.

Adele stuck her tongue out at him and then returned her attention to the cards. She saw many faces that she didn't know, but people like Merlin and Morgana were familiar to her. It was not far into the stack that she even found one of Harry Potter. Her father, she corrected.

"Can I have this one, Gawain?"

"No."

"Come on! Why not?"

"Yeah, it's not like you don't have five of them," Kip said.

"He's saving them. Gawain sells them to the first year Gryffindor girls at lunch. They think Professor Potter is cute," Akemi explained.

"I'm taking it," Adele said, plucking it from the others.

"Give it back!"

Gawain jumped up from the floor and made an attempt to grab it out of Adele's hands, but she managed to evade him and rushed in the direction of the girl's dormitory. He tried to run after her but gave up soon after.

Adele plopped down on her bed and curled up, the Harry Potter card tight in her grip. It was the only picture she had of him at the moment, though there was no doubt she could get more. She looked at it carefully, as if trying to make something out in his expression.

If she would have been asked by anyone what she would have felt like after finding her father, Adele would have said she would have felt like the happiest girl on Earth. But the truth of the matter was she was a little scared.

What if he didn't like her? What if he didn't want a child? All these thoughts raced through her head. Just because she wanted her father didn't mean he wanted her. What if after all this time, she had found her father but was still without one? She'd never given it any thought before.

And what if he was married? She knew that Gawain or Akemi would probably know if he was, but she was terrified to find out the truth. If he was, then would he even want to be a family with her and her mother? She didn't even know if she had a brother or a sister. All of these questions left her tummy aching.

She wanted to ask her father all of these questions but couldn't muster the courage. Just yesterday, she had walked into his office and spoke to him normally. But to do it again today? It would be too strange. Things were different now. She would be coming to him as his daughter, not as his student, and the thought of really seeing her father the first time was scary.

But, she reminded herself, this was what she had been waiting for. If she didn't get her answers now, would she ever? If her father was only a temporary Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, then she might not get to see him next year. She'd end up right where she started, clueless and without a father. Maybe it was better to know the truth, even though it was frightening, than to never know it at all.

* * *

Ginny sat on the sofa, the _Daily Prophet_ spread on her lap and her cup of tea nestled between her hands. The paper had only held her attention for an article or two, and the tea tasted rather bitter to her that morning. There was too much on her mind for her to focus on any one thing. Her marriage was her biggest concern.

After leaving the Burrow last night, Ron, sensing something was going on, managed to talk her into telling him what was wrong. She'd told him about Harry lying, but Ron reassured her that there was probably nothing to it. Harry was an Auror, which meant that he sometimes couldn't tell anyone where he'd been. She realized that Ron was right, that she was probably being paranoid for no reason. Harry may be capable of a lot of things, but _that_, she was sure, was not one of them.

But there was something else missing from their marriage as of late. Maybe what her mother had been saying for years actually had some truth to it. Perhaps what was missing was a baby. While the thought made her nervous, it wasn't a bad sort of nervous. And it could be good for Harry too, perhaps even put his priorities back in line. The more she thought about it, the more having a child seemed like the solution to all their marital problems.

She'd talk to him that night. No, she thought, she'd do it sooner. She would surprise him at lunch, just go via the Floo network right to Hogwarts. Then she could apologize, explain that she'd been stupid and ask him to forgive her. When she got home from St. Mungo's that night, while Harry gave her a back massage as he always did after her late shifts, she'd hint then that it was time to consider it.

* * *

Ron stood by the coffee pot set up in the Auror department, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He'd stayed at the Burrow far later than he'd intended and then ended up talking to Ginny a little more after that. By the time he'd got back to his flat, the mound of paper work that he needed to get to (all reports he'd put off) would have been impossible to get through. He had to at least get a few of the more pressing ones finished or it would be his arse for sure.

The whole department seemed a blur around him. Three hours of sleep. Never again, he groaned, filling his cup up with what he considered only a step or two above sludge. The smell was horrible, the taste worse, but he was desperate for something to wake him up. He'd hardly even noticed Jimmy Peakes standing next to him until he spoke up.

"Say, Ron, got me a couple of tickets to the match this weekend, Puddlemere versus the Harpies. You in?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, sounds like a real nice time."

"'Real nice time,' he says." Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Try match of the year, Ron."

"Sorry, just a little knackered."

Jimmy took a Styrofoam cup from the small stack and pushed it in Ron's direction. "Take another cup. You're going to need it. Saturday at ten. Don't be late," he said, before heading back toward the cubicles.

Ron thought for a moment, then filled the other cup nearly to be brim with coffee and decided it'd be best for him to get back to work as well. As he passed by the cubicles, he heard his fair share of discussions concerning dark wizards, although there was a bit of talk about a couple of new witches down in International Magical Cooperation. He shook his head but smiled.

"Ron?"

He turned to see Ernie Macmillan briefly excusing himself from one of their co-workers and heading in his direction.

"Hey, mate, how was holiday in Spain?"

"Brilliant! How was the office?"

Ron shot him a knowing look and sat his coffee down on his desk.

"So I hear that Harry's off to Hogwarts teaching Defense?"

"Yeah, must have been a couple days after you left that he got the word from the higher ups, the slacker. Was supposed to be me in the beginning, but they changed their minds. Guess you still can't get any respect even if you saved the world from You-Know-Who," he joked.

"Next thing you know they'll be taking away your Chocolate Frog card."

"Bite your tongue, Macmillan."

"You wouldn't want to be stuck at Hogwarts with all those annoying little kiddies anyway."

"When you put it like that," he said with a chuckle.

"Listen," Ernie began, leaning against Ron's desk. "This may seem like I strange question but it's been on my mind. I hate to even ask it, but you haven't heard from Hermione, have you?"

Ron felt as if something suddenly had stung him. Where had that come from? To hear his family say that name, he wouldn't have been surprised. But Ernie? And he knew that everyone tried to avoid the topic entirely for fear of stepping on his toes somehow, so for Ernie to ask him out right? Something just wasn't right.

"No," he said weakly.

"I know it still burns, mate, and that's why I didn't want to say anything. It's just, well, Lucy and I saw her at Gringott's a couple weeks back, right before we left for holiday."

"You've gone mad."

"I thought so too. But then Lucy asked me if that was Hermione. We both couldn't have been seeing things, could we?"

Ron thought for a long moment. Hermione back? But why hadn't she contacted anyone if that were true? Surely she would have owled him or Harry. Then again, he thought bitterly, he would have thought she would have said goodbye to them too. And what did it matter anyway? If Hermione didn't want anything to do with him, then he didn't want anything to do with her. He had a girl now; he was moving on. What Hermione did and didn't do with her life was her business.

"Maybe it was just someone who looked like her, Ernie. I don't really know. She hasn't contacted me though, and Harry would have said something if she'd owled him."

"Right then. Didn't mean to bring up any bad blood…"

"No hard feelings, mate."

"Well I ought to get to work then. Catch you around lunch time?"

"Sure."

When Ernie was out of sight, Ron lounged back in his chair and sighed. He worried his lip a bit and looked about his things. That all too familiar itch began, just like it always had when Hermione came up. However, he wouldn't do it. He needed to stop carrying the picture around and just get rid of the damn thing. She didn't _want _him, so why should he keep pining over her?

Shaking his head and pushing all thoughts of Hermione aside, he took out a piece of parchment and quill and began writing a letter to Marcy.

* * *

"I can't do this anymore, Harry. I need to speak to Ron as soon as possible."

"So you've given some thought to how you're going to go about this then?"

Hermione stared down at her nearly full plate of food, her appetite rapidly decreasing by the moment. No, she really hadn't thought about it too much. She'd already decided that there would be no good way to do it, so it would be better off just done with. Of course, she'd like to be able to tell Ron in a way that would salvage as much as their relationship as possible. But even if she couldn't do that, as long as he and Adele had a good relationship then that would be enough for her.

"I see," Harry said, solemnly.

"He won't forgive me, I know, so it's best for Ron and Adele if they knew the truth."

"Hermione, I'm your biggest supporter in telling them the truth, you know that. Put a little more thought into it though, for everyone's sake. Listen, Ron will be around his flat all weekend, so why don't you send him an owl and arrange a time to meet. Give him a bit of a heads up."

"I want to tell him now, though."

"Rushing over to the Ministry is going to cause a rather big scene, which neither of you need right now. There's no harm letting it wait until tomorrow when you're both better prepared."

Hermione sighed. "Maybe you're right, Harry."

"I'll see what I can do about getting Adele out of Hogwarts for a day or two so you can have some time to tell her. McGonagall will understand."

Ron was one thing, but telling Adele was something quite different. Ron would be a little understanding, she hoped, given that he had been partly to blame for sending her the mixed signals all those years ago. Adele was just dragged into it though. She was a child, unable to understand what it was like to be an adult and how it felt to have to make adult decisions. Once the whole truth came out, she would have even more questions than before, all of which would need answered, and, she feared, Adele wouldn't be fair in her accusations. Perhaps Ron would know how to best handle that situation.

"Thank you," she said, a whole new bout of dread washing over her.

Harry placed a hand over hers. "It's what I'm here for."

"I wouldn't know what to do without you, Harry."

He smiled at her, and she returned it. Sometimes, very briefly when she was with Harry, she felt as if it were the old them talking, before the Second War and her disappearance. As if, instead of meeting for lunch, they were back at Hogwarts on one of their Hogsmeade trips and had stopped at the Three Broomsticks for a bit of food and some butter beer. Ron would be walking around the corner at any moment, drinks in hand, with that silly grin on his face.

"Perhaps we should get going soon then?" Harry suggested.

"Yeah, of course. You have class soon, don't you?"

"In an hour or so."

"Thanks for coming to lunch with me. And you're right. Tomorrow would be better."

"I'll just be glad when it's all out in the open. That way I won't have to keep dodging Ginny."

"I'm really sorry about that. Just promise me you won't say anything to her until Ron knows. I already feel awful as it is, and if someone were to know before him… I just know he'd be crushed."

"I understand. It's only one more day. What could possibly happen?"

* * *

Ginny sat a Harry's desk, patiently waiting for him to arrive. She'd got there nearly twenty minutes ago, but her husband was no where to be found. He was probably meeting with a student or stepped out to lunch. In any case, Hogwarts was a rather large castle; it'd be better to wait in his office, she reasoned.

Harry had left his office rather disorganized, much like his cubicle at the Ministry and just about every where he stayed long enough at home. She'd long given up tidying up after him. Amongst the stacks of parchment and books, Ginny caught sight of their wedding photo and smiled. While he may have been messy, he never forgot the important things.

She picked up the picture frame and stared at it for a long moment, letting the memories flood her. She'd wondered if that day would ever come, but it had in time. She and Harry had never been happier. Ron, while happy for them, had seemed a little heavy hearted, and Ginny knew why. While he and Hermione only had a short time together, Ron had planned on it being a forever thing. Seeing her and Harry getting married must have reminded him of what he couldn't have with the woman who had stolen his heart all those long years. But now, Ginny thought placing the photo back where she found it, Ron had found a new girl, one that, according to him, might just be the very thing that he needed in order to move on.

The sound of students outside the office door made Ginny look at the clock. She hadn't realized she'd been there for so long, and if she didn't leave soon, she'd be late for her shift at St. Mungo's. She quickly reached for a quill and began the hunt for a clean piece of parchment to write Harry a letter. She wanted him to know that they had something very important to discuss to ensure that he'd be home when she arrived after work.

Opening his desk drawer, she'd finally found a piece and was about to start her letter when she noticed she'd dropped something on the floor.

It'd be wrong to read it, she knew. It was her husband's private letter. But the moment her eyes fell on "_thank you_" and "_the other night,_" Ginny couldn't look away.

_Harry,_

_Thank you so much for the other night. Words can't begin to describe how sorry I am for everything, for hurting you. I'm so thankful that you can forgive me though. You really are amazing. _

_We really need to talk. It's important. I don't think I can keep this secret any longer. Can we meet over lunch tomorrow? _

Ginny's stomach flipped violently. The letter was unsigned, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was from a woman. A woman that he had lied about. A woman with a secret. But Harry, he wouldn't. He loved her. And the letter, it didn't have anything incriminating in it.

Her head began to pound, and she set the piece of parchment down. Nothing incriminating aside from the fact that he was with a woman the night that he lied to her about being with Ron. She had to keep telling herself that it was Harry.

Sure things hadn't been really good for some time now. And at times he was away for months on end with little to no word. He wasn't capable of doing …_that_. But despite how many times she told herself that, she began to cry.

* * *

Having just returned from lunch, Harry strolled briskly down the corridor. Eleven years had been too long a separation for two friends who had spent nearly every waking moment together since first year. They had got lost in conversation until one would have to stop the other for clarification. It was as if they'd forgotten that they hadn't been in each other's lives for over a decade.

He missed her terribly. She had been such a good friend of his for so long, sticking by him regardless of the circumstances. Being around her made him safe. If he'd ever find himself in a rough patch, Hermione would have the answers because she was Hermione. He needed no other reason than that.

"Professor?"

He turned around as he was about to unlock his office door to find Adele. Her face was stark white, and she looked as if she was going to be sick. He immediately grew concerned.

"Adele?" He noticed her lip quiver when he called her name. "Are you alright? Perhaps I should walk you to the infirmary?"

"No!" she said in a pained, high pitched voice.

"No, alright then," he said, growing slightly nervous. "No need to get upset. Why don't you have a seat in my office?"

Harry quickly unlocked the door and escorted her into his office, sitting her down. She looked terrible, and if it weren't for the fact that he was afraid of upsetting her further, he'd take her to Madame Pomfrey straight away. Instead he conjured a glass of water and offered it to her.

"Adele—"

"Don't!" she shouted, flinching as the glass came toward her.

"Please, I need you to talk to me. Did something happen to you? Did you see something strange?"

"Did…did you love her?" Adele began to sob. "Did you love my mummy?"

Harry was paralyzed. Dark wizards, he could handle any day. But children? He tried to wrack his brain for a solution to calm her as she brought her knees to her chin and cried, but he had nothing. Should he touch her, pat her gently on the back? Or would that just send her into a frenzy? And whatever the case, somehow, someway, Adele had found out that he knew her mother. Things were far graver than he imagined.

"Of course I loved your mum. She was a great girl, really," he said gently.

"Then why?" she pleaded.

"Why what?"

"Why did you let her go if you loved her?"

"Adele, I…I had no control over the matter. She left without saying a word. Trust me, I would have done my best to talk her out of it if I could have."

"You should have tried harder!"

"I know. You're not telling me anything I don't already know."

"I grew up without a dad because you didn't try hard enough. You didn't love us enough to want to be a family with us."

Harry was sure his faced paled to match Adele's complexion. A family with them? But he and Hermione had never _ever_ done anything remotely close to what it would take to… Hermione was his friend, a sister in every way that mattered, his family. But never that. Adele, however, had come to a much different conclusion.

"I need you to listen to me," he began, placing a hand on her shoulder, which she violently shrugged off. "When I said I loved your mum, Adele, I didn't mean it like that. We were close, yeah, but not like that. I'm not your father."

"Then who is?!"

She was glaring at him so intensely that he had to look away. He wanted the poor thing to know the truth, but it couldn't come from him. Hermione was going to tell Ron tomorrow and then Adele could know the truth. It had to come from Hermione, as much as it pained him.

"I'm sorry…"

He tried to find the words to explain everything to her, but he was at a loss. The whole situation just got far more sullied than he even thought possible. He wanted to tell her, but he'd made a promise to Hermione. Adele had to wait just a little bit longer.

"You're lying. You're lying because you don't want me!"

"I swear to you, Adele—"

"Liar!" she shouted, jumping off the chair. "You hate me, and you hate my mum, and you don't want us in your lives! I knew it!"

"That's not true," he said, reaching for her hand. She stepped out of his reach and darted for the door.

Harry stood up quickly and raced into the corridor only to find Adele was no where in sight. He wanted to go after her, to set things right, but he couldn't. Maybe she just needed time to cool down, to let everything he'd said to her sink in. She'd be fine in an hour or so. He'd search for her then. And in the mean time, he'd try to figure out what the bloody hell he was going to say to her.

* * *

Ron stood in the Ministry's Atrium, briefly checking to make sure he had everything before using the Floo to get home. He had made plans to go out with Marcy for dinner later on that night and wanted to make sure he had plenty of time to see to all the things he needed to finish up as well as tidying himself up.

He was really looking forward to spending some time with her, especially after talking with Ernie today. He knew he had to start focusing on the future rather than dwelling on the past like he had for so many years, and Marcy would be the best medicine to help him along his healing process.

"Fancy seeing you here, Ron."

He looked to his side to find Marcy looking back at him. She had a playful expression on her face, as she always did. It was one of the things he enjoyed so much about her. Marcy was light hearted, optimistic, and, it seemed to him, tried to find the best in people. As a person who was easily discouraged and tended to let a lot of things bother him, Ron was happy to find a person who was just different enough from him to balance him out.

"Thought you had to work another hour."

"They let me go early. Must be my lucky day," she said, stepping away from him and towards the visitor's entrance.

"Floo network is this way."

"Nah, it's such a nice day I thought I'd walk home."

"Walk?"

"Yeah, crazy, isn't it? I hear Muggles do it all the time. Thought I might take a chance and give it a try," she said, smiling.

Ron smiled back. "Yeah? Sounds like it might be dangerous. Maybe I should join you?"

"Please do."

The reached the sidewalks of Muggle London and headed in the direction of Marcy's house. She was talking about something funny her son had done the previous night, and while Ron would have loved to have been all ears, he was rather preoccupied. Thinking of how much he enjoyed Marcy's company made him think of how things were with Hermione. She too was his opposite, though in a different way than Marcy. But they both knew just what to say to make him smile. Before he'd met Marcy, it had been such a long time since he'd genuinely smiled. And when she brought a smile to his face, he knew that he should try to get to know her a little better.

"Ron, are you okay?"

He snapped out of it and looked apologetic. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, just got a bit on my mind."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"My…um, my ex is apparently back in town."

"Hermione, right?"

Ron nodded. He didn't really care to talk about ex-girlfriends, especially on first dates, but when the mood was light, Marcy had asked if he'd ever been with someone special. He very briefly explained about Hermione. Marcy had spent her first five years of wizarding school in Salem, Massachusetts, but after her father was transferred back to England, she'd finished up at Hogwarts. They'd never gone to school together; he had already left Hogwarts by the time she started attending, and so she really didn't know anything about him and Hermione. When the mood grew darker, she'd apologized and told him about her son's father. Ron was happy to know that he wasn't the only person to suffer from a world of heartache.

"Did she contact you or something?"

He didn't miss the concerned look on her face. "No, she didn't. Ernie Macmillan saw her at Gringott's, I guess."

"Does this mean that you're going to send her an owl?"

Ron didn't know what to say. He would have liked to easily reply "no," but things were more complicated than that.

"It's okay if you want to," she added quickly.

"No, I… I don't know. I'm happy with you though."

She grinned. "Happy with me? Tonight will only be our second date, Ron."

"I meant, well, I think I could be happy with you."

"You know," she began, taking his hand and squeezing it. "If you feel like you need to close the book with her, do it. I'm not going to be offended. And if you find that things could go well, then I guess it's up to you. I'm not selfless enough to say go try to make things work with her. I really care about you, Ron, and I'd like to get to know you a lot better."

He wanted to get to know her better too. He'd never expected Hermione's return. For such a brilliant witch, she sure had shitty timing. Wait until he'd gone through a string of girls that would have never cut it until he finds one that could maybe fit. Things were delicate. Even if Hermione didn't contact him, he knew that she was back. It was just enough to keep that nagging voice in the back of his head wondering. He sighed. What was he going to do?

* * *

**A/N:** I apologize for the lateness of the chapter. Some things came up, and my beta wasn't able to return the chapter to me until recently. So love it? Hate it? Let me know!


	9. Wish You Were Here

**Chapter 9: Wish You Were Here**

**

* * *

  
**

Harry glanced at the clock on the wall of his office and sighed. It had been his intention to search for Adele as soon as class let out, but then he'd found himself in his office, still panicked about what he was going to say to his niece. And taking his own advice that he gave to Hermione, he thought that having something prepared would be far better than just winging it and muddling everything up in the process.

If it had been Bill's little girl or any of his nephews that had been that upset, he would of whisked them off for some ice cream with as many toppings as they wanted. But ice cream wasn't going to fix Adele's problems. And, Harry began to wonder, if anything would. Not having a father because he was dead was one thing, but to not have a father because he'd "abandoned" her, which was what happened as far as Adele was concerned, was quite another. She wouldn't come out of this unscathed.

"Professor?"

Harry looked up to find Akemi, Gawain, and Kip in the doorway with nervous expressions on their faces. "Miss Kano, Mr. Wood, Mr. Lewis." He was afraid to continue further, as if he already knew why they were here.

"Sorry to bother you, sir," Gawain began, "It's just that, well, Adele hasn't been back to the common room since this morning, and she wasn't at dinner either."

"We were worried, so I went up to our bedroom and found this on her bed," Akemi explained, handing Harry the slip of parchment.

_I'm going home. _

_~Adele _

Harry felt the color drain from his face. He could understand her needing time to herself but to quit Hogwarts altogether? Perhaps she didn't want to have to face him everyday, but it wasn't as if he was her father. Of course, he reminded himself, she didn't know that. Harry damned himself for telling Hermione to wait until tomorrow to speak to Ron.

But he had. And things were the way that they were whether he, Hermione, Ron, or Adele liked it. They all needed to stop hanging onto the past and start picking up the pieces of their lives. For Ron and Hermione, that would start tomorrow, and for Adele a few days after that. But until then, he'd have to do damage control. He had never been one for words or thinking things through; he was an action kind of guy. And right now, that was exactly the kind of guy Adele needed, Harry Potter the Auror rather than Harry Potter the professor.

Jumping to his feet, Harry glanced out the window into the darkness, as if to assess the situation and then took a quill and piece of parchment to write a brief note.

"Take this to Professor Longbottom," he commanded. "I'm going to need help if we ever hope to find her before she gets into serious trouble."

"Professor?" Akemi asked, not moving an inch despite orders otherwise. "She's going to be alright, right?"

Harry really didn't know. It'd been a few hours since she'd left presumably, and he didn't have any idea where she would have gone. She knew that the train station was near Hogsmeade but definitely wouldn't know the way there. She'd likely have got lost, and, if his worse fears were true, would have ended up in the Forbidden Forest.

"We're going to find her, okay?" he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

* * *

It was the sound of a loud crack that caused Adele to turn around too quickly and trip over a large, gnarled tree root, which sent her crashing down. Her knees throbbed and arms burned, but that wasn't what made her start crying.

She just wanted to go home and snuggle up with her mum, forgetting everything about the Wizarding world and her father along with it. She missed Pamela and talking with her about how cute her next door neighbor was. She missed all her other friends at school and her bedroom at home. Homesickness hadn't really been an issue before, especially when she was excited to find her father, but now, alone in the dark and lost, she was beginning to hate how unfamiliar this world was to her.

Adele picked herself up and brushed off as much dirt as possible, minding the scraps and scratches on her knees. Glancing around, she realized that not only did she not know the direction of Hogsmeade, but also that she didn't know the direction she came from. Everything was too dark. She reached for her wand in her coat pocket, but it wasn't there or anywhere else. It must have slipped out along the way. While Adele was afraid before, now she was absolutely petrified.

Heading back the way she thought she had come, Adele began to search the ground carefully in the low light for any sign of her wand. She may have not known many spells, but it sure made her feel safe just to have it.

Adele turned a sharp corner, which she thought was familiar, and ran straight into something sticky. She tried to bring her hands up to her face to get whatever it was off but didn't have much luck. Her arms were extremely sticky as well and difficult to move. Adele couldn't help but think that she was caught in some sort of webbing, maybe like a spider's. But that would mean that this spider would have to be about a million times bigger than any spider she'd ever seen, a particularly unsettling thought.

While Adele struggled to get out of the webbing, she heard a strange sound coming from above her. She wanted to close her eyes tightly, thinking that maybe if she didn't see what was about to eat her it would hurt less. Unfortunately, her eyes moved anyway. A million times bigger? Adele gulped as she looked at the creature. Try a billion.

* * *

Hermione stared blankly at the dirty plate in the sink, as if she couldn't recall how to clean a dish anymore. Her stomach had been flip-flopping all night from nervousness. She had come over to her parents' house in hopes of keeping her mind off of the letter she'd sent Ron just a couple hours ago to arrange a time and place to meet the following day.

However, her master plan hadn't worked, and, judging from the looks she'd got all through dinner, her parents had suspected that something was wrong as well. So when her mother came into the kitchen and began to idly tidy up, Hermione knew that her mother was just waiting for her to speak up about what was wrong. She didn't want to talk about it though and knew that it would only be a matter of time before her mum would confront her about it.

It was some silent minutes later when Hermione put the last plate in the cabinet that her mother cleared her throat. "Hermione, dear, I couldn't help but notice that you seemed a little preoccupied at dinner." Gentle prodding, which was just like her mother.

"I'm just lonely without Adele around."

"Oh, I understand that quite well. I must have moped for weeks after you left for Hogwarts your first year." She chuckled to herself. "I'm pretty sure your father was convinced I was permanently broken after that. Bless his heart, he tried to understand, but fathers and mothers don't worry and long for their children in the same way."

"Yeah." It was all she could muster.

"Dear, maybe with Adele out of the house now, you might consider finding another sort of companion?"

It was her mother's way of suggesting, again ever so gently, that it was high time she found herself a boyfriend. She'd worried over that for years, insisting every so often that her granddaughter needed a father figure in her life. And Hermione had tried to see people, but it was hard when there was a child in the picture. Men would be interested in her up to the point where they found out she was a mother. Guys her age just didn't want that kind of baggage, which she understood. And as Adele grew older, she'd given it another try, this time with some men a few years older than her. They'd been nice, one or two almost perfect, but Hermione hadn't felt the spark.

Ron was the only man that she'd felt that with. She had ignited something inside of her all those years ago that burned to that very day. Sometimes it was just a flicker, but other times it was a complete conflagration. She had wanted him for so long and continued to, not just for Adele's sake, but for her own. He had the ability to make her heart flutter one moment and send her into a fury the next, but still, good or bad, he could make her feel intense, passionate emotion that no one else ever could. Nor did she want anyone but Ron to make her feel that way.

So the thought that she was going to meet with him the next evening terrified her. She brought her hand to her mouth to hide her quivering lips from her mother. The meeting place she'd chosen had special meaning for the two of them. It was a tiny café around the flat she was living in years ago. He had taken her there not long after the second war, when things had finally settled down and they were still reeling from their first kiss. They hadn't really addressed the topic of a relationship until that night in the café. She knew he had wanted to say something all evening, and when he'd finally told her that they needed to address the kiss, he paused and then blurted out:

"_I love you." _

Hermione began to cry, and as if her mother saw it coming all along, she wrapped her arms around her and made soft shushing noises like she so often had when Hermione was a child. Hermione held onto her tightly and cried onto her shoulder.

"There, there," her mother cooed. "This is about Ronald, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded into her shoulder. It wasn't that her mother guessed out of nowhere; it was that she always cried about Ron. She had started coming to her mother and letting all her emotions out after the first failed attempt at telling Ron about the pregnancy. She'd cried to her mother when she'd left the Wizarding world and all throughout her pregnancy. And then the day Adele was born. And every one of Adele's "firsts" and birthdays. It got to the point where her mother just knew.

"I know you miss him, dear. It's only natural to." She brushed Hermione's hair behind her ears and tried to muster a smile of encouragement.

"I love him."

"I know you do."

"I don't want him to hate me," she said before letting out a great sob.

She heard another set of footsteps in the kitchen, her father's, but after a brief pause, she heard him leave. No doubt her mother gave him one of those looks to say that this was girl talk and that everything would be as right as rain in a little while not to worry.

"I sent him an owl tonight." She felt her mother tense briefly, as if surprised. "I'm going to see him tomorrow at that little café."

"The one where you intended to tell him about Adele in the very beginning."

Hermione assumed then that her mother understood her intentions for tomorrow evening. She tried her best to collect herself, pulling away from her mother and wiping her eyes dry as best she could.

"I can't keep this a secret any longer. I never wanted to keep it this long to begin with. I just…"

"I know."

"And the thought of seeing him again? I'm so terrified."

She'd dreamed a lot about seeing Ron again, especially recently. He'd always been there waiting, whether it was at her flat or his or even some public place, and the moment she walked up to him, he took her in his arms and held her tightly. He would beg her to never leave him like that ever again, that he loved her and could never move on. She'd stand there listening to him, taking in the smell of his hair that she loved so much and the warmth of his touch. She'd be melting into him, and he'd pull back just enough to kiss her full on the lips. Hermione knew it wouldn't be like that tomorrow, not with Ron's temper, but for one more night she could wish.

* * *

Ron lazily turned on the shower and ran his fingers through his hair while waiting for the water to adjust to the proper temperature. Perhaps his mother was right about that hair cut; he was getting rather shaggy.

He stepped into the shower, the hot water doing wonders for relaxing his muscles. He'd finished up a bit of necessary paper work when he got home, as planned, but sitting so long made him itch to do something active. He'd taken a quick jog around the neighborhood, exerting himself purposefully to keep his mind on the aching of his legs and far from a certain woman from his past.

But now his mind was idle again and off it began to stray to one Ms. Hermione Granger. He wondered what she looked like now. Beautiful. She was always beautiful. But she'd probably lost all that girlish beauty when she became a woman. Curvy. He thought he'd like that, especially considering the visuals his mind was lending, but _that_ kind of thinking would lead no where good. He hoped that the Muggle world didn't have any cure for unruly, bushy hair because he liked that about her, despite the teasing she'd got from the other girls around their age back at Hogwarts.

It was easy to forget, when he was caught up in the moment, about all the bad stuff that happened. The up and leaving without a word, and the letter that came not long after that explaining nothing about why she left and just that she didn't want them to go looking for her. After a little time passed and everyone had begun telling him that it was 'her choice,' he couldn't help but think that it was his fault they weren't together, despite what everyone else said. He could have done something, most certainly should have done something, but he didn't. He was so broken hearted that he barely could remember to eat let alone strategize on how to get her back. That was just the first step in a lengthy list of all the things he'd done wrong to get him to where he was at that moment, namely living a life without Hermione and the little family he so often dreamed of having with her.

Ron turned the shower off, stepped out and dried off, and then secured a towel around his waist. He walked into the kitchen for a drink when he saw a letter on the coffee table that he must have missed earlier.

"_Accio_ letter," he said, after picking up his wand from the kitchen counter.

The letter flew into his hand, and he turned it over, his stomach flipping violently as he saw the writing. He would know it anywhere; after all, he'd spent much of his time at Hogworts looking at it, whether for copying notes or homework.

A letter from Hermione? He almost feared opening it. Who knew what she was going to say in it. Maybe 'just because I'm back doesn't mean I want you to contact me,' but then again, 'Ron, I made such a stupid decision all those years ago.' And more importantly, how did he feel about either of those. If she didn't want to see him then all the better for his relationship with Marcy. In fact, he could just move things right along with her without feeling an ounce of guilt. But if she did realize that she made a mistake, maybe all these years of waiting just proved that they were meant to be together after all.

He ripped open the envelope, and his heart nearly stopped beating.

_Dearest Ron… _

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N:** Thanks for reading the latest chapter! I know a lot of people are waiting for Ron and Hermione to finally meet up, and it's coming, I promise. Just hang in there.


	10. These Hard Times

**Chapter 10: These Hard Times**

* * *

Harry heard a rustling sound and willed the light at the end of his wand to brighten. Nothing. He felt like cursing at the top of his lungs but refrained from doing so to prevent any nasty creatures from zeroing in on his location. He was an Auror, which required a certain measure of skill and bravery, but there were still things in this forest that he knew could kill him on even his best day.

He'd been searching for some time, too long for his taste, but still hadn't managed to find her. The note he'd sent to Neville had asked him to work up a locator spell and then join him in the forest. A bright light shot out of the woods a while back, giving Harry a general idea of where Adele would be. He just hoped that one of them would get to her in time.

It wasn't but a few moments after he'd continued deeper into the forest that another light shot into the sky and popped. The signal. Harry rushed off in the direction it came in as fast as his legs would allow. Neville had found her. Harry knew he could count on him.

* * *

Adele brushed her hands along her body, making sure that there wasn't any lingering threads from the spider's web remaining. She'd been wound up tightly in the webbing and was sure that she was as good as spider food when she'd heard a man shout an incantation.

The giant spider stopped its approach towards her, and Adele saw Professor Longbottom come into the small clearing. After shrinking the spider, he freed her as best as he could and then led her quickly into safety.

She sat on a giant rock, still shaking from her near death experience. She wanted her mother so bad she could cry. It was taking every ounce of willpower she had to hold back her tears. Not only was she plain tired of crying, but she really didn't want Professor Longbottom to see her cry. That would make him ask questions, which was the last thing she wanted.

"Harry should be here any minute now. We can head back to the castle then," he said with a smile. "Always safer to travel together, they say, especially in a place like this."

"Professor Potter is coming?"

"Yeah, he came out here looking for you as soon as he found out you were missing. I just got here first by luck. He's really worried about you, Miss Granger."

Worried? Adele rolled her eyes. Sure, he starts to worry about her eleven years too late. The last person on Earth she wanted to see was her father. So he came all the way out here to try and find her? That didn't mean he loved her.

"Neville?!"

"Over here, Harry!"

Her father rushed into the clearing, winded but seemingly relieved. He took a moment to catch his breath and then straightened up with a very displeased look on his face. Adele knew she was in big trouble.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking, Adele?"

She winced. Her mother never swore or raised her voice when she was yelling at her. It looked like her father wasn't nearly as level headed when it came to discipline.

"I wanted to go home." It came out in a squeak.

"Yeah, well you just about got yourself killed. Do you have any idea what kind of things live in here? How could you be so careless?"

Adele hopped off the stone, tears in her eyes, and glared at him. "I would rather be dead than stuck in this stupid school with a father that hates my guts!"

"Her father?"

Professor Longbottom had asked, but Adele hadn't heard. Instead she began to storm off when her father took her by the arm to stop her. Adele could tell he was absolutely seething when he turned her around, got to her level, and stared at her.

"For the last time, Adele, I'm not your father. And you're quite lucky I'm not, because I'd certainly be doing more than raising my voice at you right now if I were."

"Harry?"

He turned his head to look at Professor Longbottom. "She doesn't know, Neville. There's been a mix up, and she's convinced that I'm her father."

"Then why don't you just tell her the truth?"

He paused, and Adele paid close attention to the expression he was trying to form. She wondered that same question herself. Professor Potter wasn't her father? Fine. But she deserved to know who was in that case.

"It's not my place. Hermione's going to talk to him tomorrow."

Adele could hardly believe what she'd heard. Her mother was going to meet with her father tomorrow? Then that would mean that all the years she spent wondering were going to be over. Soon she'd meet with her father, learn about him and sort through all the lingering questions and put answers to them. She'd finally be able to figure out if she looked like him, beyond red hair and freckles. And there would be trips to the park and meeting her other family. Suddenly Adele couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

"Then why make her wait, Harry? If she's going to find out in a couple days, why put her through that?"

Professor Potter turned to her, looking at her carefully. For the first time in what seemed like forever he looked a little sympathetic towards her, yet still conflicted. Maybe he was really going to give her the answer she'd wanted for so long.

"Your dad is Ron Weasley, Miss Granger."

Adele's heart stopped and Harry quickly turned toward Professor Longbottom.

"Neville?"

"You'd never betray Hermione's trust, Harry. I know that. And you didn't. I never made a promise to her, so you're off the hook. We both lost our parents, and we know how painful that can be. She's already been through so much, so why deny her another day of misery when she can know the truth?" Neville sighed. "I'm going to look for her wand real quick. She must have lost it somewhere around here."

Adele barely noticed Professor Longbottom leave or that Professor Potter was looking at her intently. She was far too wrapped up in thinking about her real father. She knew his name now, and it felt like a whole bunch of sadness she was carrying just disappeared inside of her.

"Feel better?"

Adele nodded.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth, Adele."

She stared at her feet. "I'm not going to say that it's okay because it's not. But it's good that my mum can trust you with secrets and stuff."

"You can trust me too, you know. I really care about you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm your uncle. And your mum and dad, they're my best friends, my family."

"You're my uncle?"

He nodded. "And your Aunt Ginny is going to be beyond happy to know that she has another niece."

"Aunt Ginny?"

Adele suddenly felt really warm inside.

* * *

Ron listened as Marcy told him about her time at the Salem School for Witches, laughing at appropriate points and smiling to encourage her to continue. However, every so often he would run his hand over his trouser pocket to feel the folded piece of paper he'd placed in there earlier. Hermione's letter. He'd spent the better part of his evening reading it, pouring and scrutinizing over every word, until he'd realized that he was running behind for his date with Marcy.

He'd arrived late at her home, but she said nothing, ever understanding and patient. After playing with her son for a few minutes, they'd left for an out of the way Italian restaurant that Ron had been dying to take her to. Now, though, he sort of wished that he hadn't set the date in such a romantic setting.

"Ron? What are you staring at? Do I have something on my face?" Marcy asked, and then frantically began to dig in her bag for her compact.

He must have spaced. Damn it. His hand found hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and he smiled.

"You look beautiful."

It was the truth. He knew she'd gone out of her way to look nice tonight, trading in her normal trousers and shirt for a dress and heels. Any man with enough sense would fall for her. Brains and beauty? It was certainly a change from his track record. Barring one. His other hand slipped against his pocket. Brains and beauty.

"Thank you, Ron."

"For what?"

"For everything. Being so nice and considerate. And, you know, for understanding my situation."

"Situation?"

"With Luke. It's hard to find a decent guy who doesn't care that I'm someone's mom," she said sheepishly.

"Nah, I want a family."

As soon as he said it he knew it hadn't come out right. Marcy blushed and diverted her eyes, and he blushed right along with her. Take her to a romantic place and then start talking like that? Ron was digging himself in deeper.

"What I meant to say is that someday I'd really like to have a family."

"I know," she said, suppressing a smile. "You're really adorable when you're flustered, Ron."

Ron felt his ears start to burn. He wanted to tell her that she looked adorable when she scrunched up her nose or pouted. But something stopped him. He didn't want to lead her on in case…well, just in case. She was a sweet girl and had already had her heart stomped on by enough guys. He'd rather not have to count himself among them. Unfortunately, he was already feeling like he was.

Did carrying around a letter from an ex-girlfriend to a date with the potential girlfriend count as cheating? There were probably some unwritten rules about it, but he didn't really feel like he had to look it up. Feeling like crap because of it was probably a fair enough answer.

And he wanted to tell her about the letter, but tonight was supposed to be about them. Did that make it right though? Should he just come out and say something? What she didn't know wouldn't really hurt her. He could always tell her tomorrow or the next day. Would twenty-four hours really make a difference? He groaned. Yes, it would.

"Can I ask you something?"

She looked at him curiously. "Yeah, what's up?"

"What would you do if Daniel came back into town all of a sudden and wanted to meet up with you?"

She scowled. Apparently Luke's father didn't bring the best memories to mind. "I'd tell him exactly where he could shove it. Danny has put Luke and me through enough. He abandoned us as soon as he got a taste of what parenthood was like, and I'll never forgive him for that. He doesn't want the responsibility? Fine, but he sure as hell isn't waltzing back into our lives just because it's convenient for him." Marcy paused. "Sorry, talking about Danny kind of hacks me off, and…oh."

Ron immediately sensed that Marcy figured out the reason behind the question. And the disappointed look on her face moments later proved him right. Now he'd gone and done it.

"Sorry, I…well, sorry."

"She's contacted you then?"

He sighed. "Yeah. She has."

Guiltily he pulled out the letter and tossed it on the table. Better to put everything out there now rather than later. Marcy looked at him hesitantly, though whether it was because she didn't know if she was allowed to look at the letter or because she wasn't sure if she wanted to he didn't know.

She slowly picked up the letter and unfolded it. Ron held his breath. There wasn't anything incriminating in there, at least nothing on the surface. What he saw and didn't see after pouring over it wasn't important.

Marcy had barely had her eyes on the paper a second when she quietly folded it back up and placed it back on the table. She bit her lip, sniffled, and then gave a pained smile. Ron panicked.

"Okay, thank you. You've been a real gentleman, and I appreciate the honesty. I really do, but," she pulled her wrap around her shoulders and grabbed her bag, "I can't."

Marcy stood to leave, and Ron froze. He should stop her, but he felt sick. He knew that being honest about Hermione could have led to this, but he really didn't think about the consequences. He'd wanted his guilt to go away, but in the process didn't take into account Marcy's feelings. Emotional range of a teaspoon? Yeah, that sounded about right.

And so she left, and he sat there. He cared about her a lot, and now it was too late. Or was it? The irony of the situation didn't miss him. He'd let Hermione walk out of his life because he couldn't will himself to go after her. But he wasn't a boy anymore. Maybe this time he was supposed to go after her. Maybe it was some sort of sign that Marcy was the girl in his future. Ron didn't know for sure, but he sure wasn't going to take that risk again.

She was half way down the block before he caught up with her. He took her hand to stop her while he caught his breath. The sight of her runny mascara made his heart sink.

_Way to sully things up, Weasley. _

"I'm sorry about all that back in there. It was right stupid of me."

"Ron, it's fine. Really. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I hurt you, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. It's just…I never expected Hermione to just show up out of no where, and I definitely didn't think she'd want to meet up with me."

"So what are you going to do?"

Ron shrugged. "I have to see her. I don't have a choice. She has the answers to all the questions I've been wondering about for years." He pulled her closer to him. "But I haven't forgotten that she was the one who decided to run off. She made the choice to end us, so she must have some sort of reason for that. I don't know what her intentions are, Marcy but don't think that I'm just going to welcome her with open arms."

"I understand that you need to see her. If the table was turned and Danny left without word, I'd want to know why too. I'm just trying to protect myself against heartbreak."

Ron smiled. "I know. But don't worry about that. Hermione can't just come back and expect me to turn my life upside down. And like it or not, you're a part of my life now. I want to see more of you. A lot more."

Marcy said nothing and hugged him. He held onto her tightly; it felt right. For the first time since he got the letter, he felt like he knew what he had to do the next day. He wasn't about to leave a woman who he knew wanted to be with him for someone who didn't even have the decency to tell him why she was leaving him. While he had loved Hermione for such a long time, he suddenly felt like he had loved the person she had been when their relationship was new rather than the person she'd become when she left him.

* * *

Harry was surprised to find the kitchen light on when he apparated home. He glanced at his watch: 11:30. It wasn't like Ginny to stay up so late, especially when she was working in the evening. Normally she would just come home and get right into bed. Concerned, Harry pulled out his wand.

He had worried over nothing. The moment he entered the kitchen, he saw Ginny was perfectly fine, through looked strangely perturbed. It must have been a bad day at work. He pocketed his wand and smiled warmly.

"Hello, luv. Rough day at work?" he asked, heading for the refrigerator for a drink.

He hadn't noticed her lack of response until a few moments later. He turned, and he realized that something was most definitely wrong. He immediately thought the worst.

"Ginny? What's wrong?" He knelt in front of her, but she turned her head away from him, pained. "Ginny?"

"How could you?" She immediately jumped from her chair, and Harry wasn't quite sure how to process what was happening. "I know things haven't been good lately, but I never thought you'd ever betray me like this."

Ginny was crushed, which scared him more than anything. When they'd had problems in the past, Ginny would show her Weasley temper. She'd yell, and curse, and accuse, but she never cried. Harry was certain that the situation they were in was very serious and extremely delicate, but he knew he wasn't prepared to handle it.

He put his hands up defensively. "Luv, I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know, some of the girls at school would say that I'd never be able to keep you, that a bossy, tomboy like me would never be enough for you. But I didn't believe them. And then things started to get bad last year. I was worried, but I never really worried about you doing something like this, Harry. You weren't that kind of guy. Or at least I thought so."

"What kind of guy, Ginny?" That came out much louder and angrier than he'd intended.

She turned to look at him for the first time, tears filling her eyes and slipping down her cheeks. "Is she pretty?" Ginny pulled a piece of paper from her robe and tossed it at him. "Is she, Harry? Does she satisfy you? Do you love her? Is she better than me, Harry? God damn it, answer me!"

Harry stood, but quickly grabbed onto the table to steady himself. He was going to be sick. He'd been keeping things from her, but they weren't bad things. She wasn't supposed to find out like that. And it wasn't what she thought. God, to think that she would even think that someone could replace her. How insecure had he made her over the years of working over and going away on missions and just generally not being there emotionally for her? This was never how he envisioned their marriage.

"It's not what you think," he began, calmly. "I know what it looks like, but it's not."

"Then explain to me what 'thank you for the other night' and 'I can't keep this secret any longer' means."

"You were right. I lied about being with Ron the other night. It was wrong, and I'm very sorry about that. And, yes, I was with a woman— "

"That's all I needed to know."

"Wait, there's more."

Ginny reached for her wand on the counter. "I don't want to hear anymore."

"You have to listen to me."

Ginny raised her wand. "Don't make me hex you. Merlin knows I want to."

"Please—"

"Get out."

Harry froze. They'd gone to bed angry in the past, but she'd never ordered him out of the house before. He didn't want to go; he'd much rather stay and talk things out. But he knew from the look in Ginny's eyes that if he didn't leave, he would pay. Hell hath no fury like a witch scorned, as Mr. Weasley always said. Maybe it would be better if he let her calm down. He could come back in the morning, and they could talk about things like civilized adults rather than argue about it in the heat of the moment.

"I love you, Ginny," he said, backing away towards the door. "And I swear it's not what you think."

* * *

Hermione kissed her father on the cheek and then reached for her bag. She turned to her mother, who still looked concerned about the matter they'd discussed earlier; however, her mother didn't say anything, for which Hermione was thankful.

"Well I'm headed out then."

"Dear, why don't you stay the night? It looks like it's going to start pouring. You know how I hate for you to be driving in the rain."

"It's fine, Mum."

"But—"

"Oh, Jane, stop fussing over her. She's a big girl now."

She smiled at her father gratefully. He always knew how to placate her mother. And she loved him a little more each time he'd interject on her behalf. Her mother was certainly easier to handle when he was around.

"Well, call me when you get home," her mother said, still concerned. "You'll know how I'll fret if you don't."

"Yes, Mum, I promise," she said, hugging her.

Hermione was half way home when the rain started to come down in buckets. She'd wished that she had listened to her mother after all. Well, at least Adele wasn't there. Having Adele in the car with her in weather like that always made her a nervous wreck.

She stopped at a stop sign and noticed a car coming to her left. But he had a stop sign as well, so she went ahead and pulled out. The next thing she knew her vision was blinded by bright headlights and the sound of a car horn sounded loudly in her ears. Then everything went black.

* * *

**A/N: As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review since I love hearing about all the things you loved/hated. Chapter 11 is on it's way. If you're wondering about the status of a chapter, please feel free to check out my livejournal (which can be found through my author's page) where I post all that kind of information! **


	11. If I'm Not In Love With You

**Chapter 11: If I'm Not In Love With You**

* * *

When Adele woke up that morning, she knew it was going to be a good day. It was sunny and Saturday, for starters. She was finally able to speak with her friends instead of avoiding them for fear of being interrogated, and her appetite had thankfully returned. Not to mention the fact that her mother was going to speak with her father. And it was that thought that plagued her all through breakfast (which happened to include some of her favorite foods). Everything seemed to be going perfect until she received the owl from her grandparents.

She looked down at the letter that had been discarded on the grass next to her and felt like she was going to throw up again. Her mum had been in an accident and was in the hospital, and after contacting Professor McGonagall, it had been decided that Adele would go home for a short time. Grandmum had also mentioned that Mum bumped her head rather hard, but that the doctors said that everything was going to be fine, so not to fret over it. Adele couldn't help but let out a sob at the thought of that. "Was going to be fine" and "looked fine" were two entirely different things.

Adele really hadn't thought much about her mother and father not being able to meet up aside from acknowledging the fact. She would never have a family if her mum…didn't make it. And while her grandmum didn't give her any reason in the letter to think that way, Adele knew that there was a reason why she was leaving school for a couple of days. Her mum had to be in bad shape.

The sound of footsteps behind her grabbed her attention, and she quickly dried her eyes and cheeks before turning around to see who it was.

She hadn't expected to see Professor Potter—she wasn't sure how she felt about calling him "Uncle Harry" yet—but she was happy to seem him. He had promised her after a lengthy discussion in Headmistress McGonagall's office that he would come by to check on her in the morning. For some reason, she didn't think he would, maybe because she always saw him as a mean man rather than someone who cared about her. He proved her wrong though, and she was happier for it.

"I just talked to Professor McGonagall." He said no more but looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm supposed to meet Grandmum at noon."

Tears stinging her eyes, Adele was unable to continue. She was scared. Really scared. She didn't want her mum to die. But people's mums died all the time. She began to cry even though she tried to hold it back.

She didn't see Professor Potter kneel in front of her but realized he must have when she felt him hug her tightly, his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back just like her mum did. She was grateful that he didn't say anything, but she understood what he was trying to tell her. He wasn't about to abandoned her in a time when she needed family the most. And he was family; he was Uncle Harry.

He pulled away from her and wiped any lingering tears off of her face. "Let's finish getting you packed, okay? Then I'll go with you to where your grandmum is meeting you."

Adele wanted to thank him but didn't think she could without starting to cry again. Instead, she nodded and proceeded back into the school to gather up the rest of her things she would need for her trip home while Uncle Harry helped her with her bag.

* * *

Ron looked at the clock on the wall of the café that read 11:37. She was late. Every time a minute passed the hour they were supposed to meet, Ron felt stupider. Maybe she had chickened out. Then again, maybe she had never intended to show up in the first place. He wanted to punch something he was so hacked off, but chose not to for fear that he would be asked to leave. He couldn't risk that, just in case.

Perhaps he had misunderstood her. He knew he hadn't, but it was the only explanation for her absence that he cared to consider. In the less than twenty-four hours since he received the letter, he'd read it so many times that he could recite it by heart.

_Dearest Ron, _

_I hope this letter finds you well. I can't imagine what you must be thinking at the moment— other than it's probably rather colorful. You certainly couldn't have anticipated my contacting you after all these years, but I hope that you're not put off by it, despite everything that has happened. _

_There is so much that I need to tell you and want to talk about. I know that I've given you no reason to want to talk to me, so I'm asking you out of the kindness of your heart to meet with me tomorrow. I was hoping that we could meet at "our café," as you used to call it. It was such an important place to us, and well, it would mean so much to me if you could come. _

_And for what it's worth, I've never stopped…missing you. Not in all these years. _

_Always, _

_Hermione_

11:39 and Ron felt like he was going to die. How long was too long for a bloke to wait for a girl?

* * *

"You're awfully quiet back there, pumpkin."

She met her granddad's eyes in the rearview mirror but wasn't about to offer up what was on her mind. He meant well; she knew that. And Adele imagined that it was taking all the effort he could muster to try to act like everything was going to be just fine. But the look on her grandmother's face when she'd picked her up told Adele otherwise.

They had taken her to eat before they began their drive to the hospital, and it was there that Adele accidentally found out that her mum was still unconscious. Her grandparents were discussing it while Adele briefly excused herself to the loo and on her way back, she'd overheard them. She wasn't really sure what it meant for a person to still be unconscious the morning after an accident, but it couldn't be good.

"Adele, honey, don't worry. You're mum is going to be as right as rain. She's just a little banged up right now."

She wanted to believe her grandmum. She really did.

* * *

Tipping the bottle, Ron filled up another shot glass with Firewhisky. He'd waited for her for two hours before he'd run out of reasons for a possible late arrival. She'd never come though, leaving him with another question to add to an already too long list of them. And as much as it pained him to think, he felt as if he was really ready to close the book on this relationship of theirs.

It would require liquid courage though, which partially explained the alcohol. He didn't think he'd have the strength to do it in his right mind, especially since every time he tried to move on he found himself feeling the way he had just after the Second War. And while everyone teased him about being clueless and unfeeling, Ron knew the truth of the matter. He was still sentimental, regardless of what happened between them. And that was the other reason for the Firewhisky: it would make him numb to everything he didn't want to feel anymore and feed his anger for the situation. He'd need that if he ever had any hope of going through with it.

He placed the old photograph that he had carried with him in his wallet for years along with the letter she'd sent him just the day before on a plate in front of him. He toyed with the wand in his hand a bit while he judge if he was far enough along in his drinking to be able to cast _incendio_ and be rid of her once and for all.

"Ron?"

He hadn't heard Harry arrive but no matter. He was always welcome. Maybe it wasn't the best time, but then again, maybe it was the perfect time. He could get everything off his chest, everything he hadn't had the chance to tell anyone, and be on with it.

"You alright, mate?" Harry again.

Ron waved his hand. "Fine."

"Yeah? That half empty bottle of Firewhisky suggests otherwise."

Harry sat himself down at the table and picked up the nearest shot glass. He poured himself one, inclined it slightly towards Ron as if to toast him and then downed it. Ron knew what he was up to. Harry wasn't one to play the psychologist every time he had a problem, nor was he one to prod for information. He would just sit there in silence if Ron felt like talking, and if not, he'd just stick around and enjoy his best mate's company.

"It's Hermione."

Harry looked at him half shocked and half curious. "What about her?"

Ron gestured towards the note on the plate. "Sent me a letter last night. Wanted to meet up today. Talk about something. I don't know."

"Did you go?"

"I didn't want to. Well maybe I did. Just a little. You know, to get answers and stuff." He sighed. "But none of that matters now. She didn't show."

Ron watched Harry carefully for his reaction. He expected him to be surprised, but the look on his face told Ron that he wasn't. It was as if he was keeping something from him, as if he'd known about Hermione's return all this time.

"You knew, didn't you?" His question was met with silence. "Damn it, Harry!"

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to keep it a secret or anything. She just wanted to do it her own way. But I swear that I haven't known all that long."

Ron felt like he should feel a lot more hacked off than he did. Harry hadn't said anything, which wasn't right, but he could have just been looking out for Ron's best interest. Maybe he didn't want to stir things up after he knew that he'd moved on with Marcy. Ron couldn't fault the bloke for that. And it was only natural for Hermione to have contacted Harry too. They were as close as brother and sister, after all. Ron felt as if he really wasn't justified in holding too big of a grudge against his brother-in-law.

"Doesn't matter. She didn't show anyway."

"I know."

Ron looked at him, brow furrowed. "What do you mean you know?"

"I…got word that she was in an accident last night."

All the anger that he felt towards Hermione at that moment drained from him all at once and came around to punch him right in the gut. If she had wanted to stand him up, that was one thing. But he was right. She had wanted to come; something just had happened. Something…bad.

"Do you know if she's okay?" He sounded panicked.

"I hear she's stable, but she's still unconscious."

"Bloody hell, Harry!" He jumped out of his chair and ran his fingers through his hair, as if it would make him think more clearly. "Where is she? I have to see her. I _need_ to see her."

"She's at some Muggle hospital near her parent's place. But, Ron—"

He was already walking towards the door. "No, Harry, just…no."

* * *

**A/N:** As always, thanks to PigWithHair for the wonderful betaing and to you all for reading the story. I apologize for the brevity of the chapter, but I had to tie up a few things before I start the next chapter. The next two chapters are the ones that you've all been waiting for, so I hope to get them to you soon!


	12. The You I Never Knew

**Important A/N:** I normally post on after this story is posted on Checkmated so I get the official betaed copy of the chapter. However, Checkmated has been down for several weeks, and it just so happened that this story was ready to be submitted to Checkmated in the first day or two that the site went down. You readers shouldn't really have to be punished because of bandwidth issues, so while Checkmated is working on getting all their problems sorted out, I've posted the last revision I sent to my beta. Once Checkmated is up and running, I will probably resubmit the chapter on just to make sure all grammatical errors or spelling mistakes that my beta may have caught are taken care of.

If you are looking to read some good HP fanfic while Checkmated is down, I encourage you to check out my LJ (link on my author page) for some recs. Most of them are James/Lily and Sirius/Remus at the moment, but I plan to add more in the next few days.

Anyway, this is my holiday gift to all of my readers! It's the chapter you've all been waiting for, so please enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 12: The You I Never Knew**

* * *

The unfamiliar beeping and tubes around him began to unnerve him. He'd never been in a Muggle hospital before and didn't understand what all these machines were for. All he knew was that Hermione was hooked up to too many of them for his liking. If he could, he'd whisk her away to St. Mungo's where he knew how to communicate to the hospital staff beyond "is she going to be alright?"

Ron squeezed Hermione's hand reassuringly and brushed a stray lock of hair off of her bruised cheek. They'd gone through a war together, but he'd never seen her look so banged up before.

_Effing Muggle automo-whatsits. Nothing but death traps_.

But, he scolded himself, Hermione wasn't going to die. She was going to make it because above all else, she was a fighter. He saw that in her during the Second War, and he could see it in her now against the stark white sheets of her hospital bed. And if the Muggles couldn't help her, he would take her to St Mungo's, charges against him be damned. As long as Hermione was alive and safe, that was all that mattered.

While he sat there in silence with her, he wondered what she had wanted to say to him in the café. As for him, he wanted to know what had happened to her in the decade that they had been separated that made her who she was now. When he walked into her hospital room, it took him a moment to recognize her beneath the bruises and years apart. She was still beautiful, though a little different than he imagined she would be. And the air about her, even while she lay still in the bed, was still very much Hermione. She may have looked older, but she certainly hadn't changed all that much. He just knew.

He had hoped that he would be able to be reasonable about his feelings when he saw her again. Just because she was hospitalized didn't mean that she hadn't left him without word all those years ago. He hadn't been rational though. The moment he laid eyes on her, he had no other desire than to hold onto her, and he knew that it would take something extraordinary to get him to leave her side.

The sight of Harry leaning against the door frame caught Ron's eye. "Ron? Listen, there is something that I need to talk to you about."

"Not now. Whatever it is can wait."

Harry stepped further into the room. "It really can't. I thought Hermione should be the one to tell you, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen unless she wakes up right about now." Ron noticed the guilty look on Harry's face. "I just want you to know that—"

"Mum!"

Ron's attention snapped to the doorway where a girl, probably around his niece's age, stood frozen. Her eyes went back in forth between him and Hermione before resting on him for a long, uncomfortable moment. He shot a look at Harry, as if to ask if Hermione had a daughter. Harry looked pained and nodded, and Ron turned back to the girl, his stomach flip-flopping violently. He needed out, needed fresh air. If Hermione had a child that meant she was involved with someone else. Why then would she want to be with him? Maybe the whole "date" at the café was really just to catch up. How could he have been so stupid?

It wasn't until he cleared the doorway to her room that something struck Ron. He turned to look back at Hermione's daughter, who was looking at him crushed. Red hair. Freckles. Around the age of his niece. But his niece was ten years old. He noticed a faint outline of a wand in the girl's jacket pocket. Eleven years old, old enough to be at Hogwarts. Red hair. Freckles. She reminded him a bit of Ginny. Ginny. His sister. _Oh, God…_

_

* * *

  
_

Adele peeked around the corner of the doorway to see her father sitting alone in the waiting area, looking very lost in thought. She had to wonder what he was thinking about. No one had told him that she was his daughter, at least not that she knew of, but the way he looked right before he left her mother's room suggested that he already put two and two together.

Though he hadn't spoken to her yet, he had stuck around, which was a good sign as far as she was concerned. Maybe he was just trying to collect his thoughts before he talked with her. She could only imagine how hard that must be for someone who just found out they were a parent. What do you say to your eleven year old child in that situation? She just hoped that he'd come around soon. She was tired of waiting, especially when she was so close to him.

After returning to the common room last night, she had asked Kip to see his Ron Weasley Chocolate Frog card. It was strange to see her father for the first time on some trading card, and even stranger to get a blurb about why he was famous. She really hated how she had to see and learn about him that way. But it was sort of exciting to have a famous father. He'd fought in a war with Uncle Harry and ended up being a hero. How many children her age could say that their own father was an honest-to-God hero? Adele looked down the hall at him again. She imagined a lot of things about him in the past, but she would have never thought she'd be able to say that.

* * *

"Here. I thought you might like a cup of coffee."

Ron looked over to Harry who had invited himself to sit in the chair next to him. He didn't particularly want to see his best mate at that point in time, mostly due to the fact that he had a sneaking suspicion that Harry knew about Adele before he did. Harry's silence on the matter was enough to question where his loyalties lay.

"You knew, didn't you? About Hermione's daughter. _Our_ daughter. Damn it, I don't even know my own child's name!"

"Adele. And yes, I've known. It's probably been about a week. Not long." Harry sighed heavily. "She didn't come to me, Ron. I had to find her."

"Yeah, well, you bloody well didn't think to mention anything to _me_. And you'll forgive me if I say I think I had a certain right to know."

"I wasn't about to lead you on some wild hunt for Hermione after everything you've done to try to move on! I didn't even know if Adele was Hermione's, and then I found out the whole truth. Hermione wanted to tell you herself. I figure that was why she was meeting with you today."

"About eleven years too late, if you ask me," he said bitterly.

"What's between you and her is your own business. I'm not about to get in the middle of it. I'm just trying to explain to you why I didn't speak up sooner. But I tried to tell you tonight, before we left to come here. You wouldn't listen though. When you get your mind set on something, you never do, Ron."

Ron chuckled in feigned amusement. "So that's how it is? Suddenly this becomes my fault. The way I see it, you could have spoke up, Harry, but you didn't. And you didn't just keep her from me. You kept her from Ginny and Mum and the whole family. How do you think they'll feel when they hear about this?"

Harry stood, defeated. "It's no use trying to reason with you when you're like this. Just try to understand that there are shades of grey, Ron."

Ron was tempted to give Harry the finger as he walked away he was so angry. But even in a blind rage, Ron knew that that would be extremely immature. He'd known a week, which wasn't long by any means. But it was a week longer than he'd ever got, and Ron couldn't help feeling bitter towards him for that.

And what about Hermione? He didn't even know where to begin with her. What had caused her to run off with his child? Maybe she hadn't known at the time, but that wasn't an excuse to not come back or at least let him know. How little did she think of him to have to think that he'd be okay with abandoning the two of them? Would he have liked to have been a father at eighteen? Hell no. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't step up and be a man about it. In all honesty, he could think of a lot of worse things to be at eighteen. Being a family with Hermione and Adele would have been tough but certainly doable. Ron sighed. And all of that was terribly easy to think when he was nearly thirty and looking back on things with the sense of an adult.

Ron had gone to get a snack when he ran into Mrs. Granger coming out of the cafeteria. She smiled at him pleasantly and walked along with him back towards Hermione's room. She hadn't said anything for a long while, which he preferred, not especially feeling in the talking mood, but she eventually spoke up when they reached the waiting room.

"How have you been, Ron?"

He took a sip of his beverage. "I've been better."

"I suppose there isn't much point exchanging pleasantries, is there?" She sat down in one of the chairs. "I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now."

Ron wanted to say how funny it was that no one had bothered to think of his feelings a decade ago, but shut himself up before the words could escape him. Lashing out would not help anyone. And more than anything at that moment, Ron wanted answers. Mrs. Granger would be able to provide him with some, he was sure.

"What happened with Hermione? Why'd she just leave?" It came out rather gently much to Ron's surprise.

It appeared that Mrs. Granger was surprised as well, as if she expected to see the hot headed boy she knew long ago. "It's hard to say. I know that she was under the impression that you were involved with someone at work after you two had been…intimate. And she was also terribly concerned about your Auror training. She knew how important it was to you."

"Those are really shitty excuses."

"What were you expecting?"

"Something a lot more…reasonable. This is Hermione we're talking about, after all."

"Since she was young she was always treated like she was a mature adult. She was so bright, you know. It was easy to forget that she was really just a child. I remember how surprised I was when she sent me a letter fretting about how she liked you and that she was certain that you'd never notice her. It's such typical behavior of a teenager, but it seemed so unlike her to worry about boys." She paused. "And then she got pregnant with Adele, which was entirely unexpected. She didn't take it well. She was only an eighteen year old girl, after all."

Ron thought that her mother made some sort of sense. Everyone always relied on Hermione because she was so level headed and quick to come up with a solution. He'd been surprised how she reacted to his going out with Lavender in sixth year; it certainly wasn't like Hermione at all. It was really easy to forget that she was sometimes just a normal girl with normal problems. Maybe being known as the brightest witch of her age was more of a burden than a blessing.

"I'm not asking you to forgive her, Ronald, though I would welcome it. I just wish that you would try to understand what it might have been like in her shoes. She was scared. And we all make irrational decisions when we're scared."

"Did she ever say that she was going to tell me? Or did she just think that I wouldn't have her?"

"She told me that she tried to tell you several times, but things just kept getting in the way. Training and missions mostly. She wanted to be a family with you and Adele. She just didn't think it was possible."

He looked at her. "Well it would have been."

Mrs. Granger nodded. "Thank you." She stood. "Perhaps I should leave you. You must have a lot on your mind."

"Wait." Ron wasn't sure how to go about this, but he tried anyway. "About Adele."

"She's been looking forward to meeting you for a long time now. She's a terribly curious thing and has been asking questions for years. She doesn't know the answers to many of them, but I'm sure she still wants to."

"What should I do?"

"That's a tough question to answer. You can have time with her if you'd like. I don't want to rush you, but if you want to keep her over night, I'm sure she'd like that."

Ron thought about it for a long while. He was surrounded by children all the time. Yet somehow, his own daughter seemed very different from them. He felt so much pressure to get things right the moment he found out about her. He wanted to take her with him, but he wasn't sure if he knew how to properly care for her. She wasn't an infant and solely dependent on his care by any means, but she still needed him. What if he couldn't be a good father?

* * *

While the doctor did an examination on her mother, Adele waited down the corridor near the water fountain. Her father still hadn't said anything to her yet. When Uncle Harry came in to check on her not too long ago, she'd asked him if her dad was angry at her. He told her that he just needed a little bit of time to figure things out. Adele thought that that made sense. He'd just found out about her while she'd known about him for years.

When she heard footsteps approaching, Adele stopped fiddling with the button that turned on the water fountain and pretended to be getting a drink. However, she realized that whoever it was wasn't going anywhere, and her heart began to beat quicker. She turned around to find her father looking down at her and putting on his warmest face. She smiled back at him a little awkwardly but didn't know what to say.

"I guess there isn't really a need for introductions. You've probably already figured out that I'm your dad."

Adele nodded. She realized that he looked just about as nervous as she felt, which made her relax a little bit more.

"I guess…I'm sorry that I wasn't around. I would have been if I had known about you."

"It's not your fault."

Her father knelt down. "It is, in a way. May not seem like it, but we can't go blaming your mum for everything."

Adele didn't really understand what he was saying. Everything really was her mum's fault; she's the one who kept all the secrets from everyone. Maybe there were things that no one told her or maybe grown-ups just didn't make much sense.

"Listen, Adele, if you'd like to, and I want to make sure you don't feel like you have to, you're welcome to come back with me to my flat. Have a sleep over or whatever. I…uh, I don't know anything about you, really, and I think it's going to take a lot longer than visiting hours to learn all of it."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her dad wanted her to come stay with him? For so long she imagined what it would be like to meet him and be at his house, but it seemed very strange to actually get to do it. He liked her though; that was for sure. No one invites people to their house if they don't like them.

* * *

Ron leaned against the door frame and watched as Adele hopped into bed and pulled the covers over her tightly. They'd had a nice afternoon together. She was really a brilliant girl and reminded him so much of her mum. And while it was harder for him to see, he was certain that there was a lot of him in her too, beyond red hair and freckles. They talked for the better part of the night, him asking her questions about things she liked and her asking questions about him and Hermione. Those were tough to answer, especially given the recent turn of events, but he wasn't about to let any question go unanswered. He had a feeling that she'd got brushed off every time she asked one in the past, and he certainly wasn't about to continue that.

"About time for bed then? Don't have to read you any bedtime stories, do I?" he asked jokingly.

"I'm not a baby."

Ron smiled. "No, you're certainly not." He went over and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well. We're going to Grandmum and Granddad Weasley's tomorrow morning, and I have a feeling you're going to need all the energy you can get."

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you all for reading this chapter! I know it's been a long time coming, but I hope I've delivered it to your satisfaction. I'd love to hear what you thought about it. I do have one important announcement concerning chapter 13 and the epilogue. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that you're going to get to read the final two installments before Christmas. PigWithHair, my awesome beta, isn't going to have much time to beta in the next several weeks, and I also am overwhelmed with finals, moving, and the holidays. But, I assure you that you'll get the end after the holidays are over.


End file.
